


The Witcher's little lark

by tashaxxxxxx



Series: The Witchers Little Lark [1]
Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Alpha Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Child Abuse, Hurt Jaskier | Dandelion, Hurt/Comfort, Jaskier | Dandelion Has a Past, Jaskier | Dandelion Whump, Mentions of Violence, Omega Jaskier | Dandelion, Past Rape/Non-con, mentions of rape on a minor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:14:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 10
Words: 45,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24965788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tashaxxxxxx/pseuds/tashaxxxxxx
Summary: When Julian presented as an Omega he thought his life was over.  Until the druids gave him the gift of freedom from his life of pain and torment.  When he meets the White Wolf, conqueror of half the Northern continent, Jaskier is the happiest he has ever been.  At least until the druid's magic starts to wear off and Jaskier's freedom is under threat once more
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Series: The Witchers Little Lark [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1817020
Comments: 96
Kudos: 782





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Mentions of past child abuse and rape. Not very detailed but if this triggers anyone please do NOT read.

Geralt sat in shock as Jaskier stood in front of the room full of Witcher’s, terror wrapping itself around him in a heady horrific scent. Jaskier’s blue eyes were blown wide as he looked around the room and tears filled his eyes as his fingers hovered blindly on the strings of the lute he held in his hands. Geralt stood up, moving from his seat at the head of the high table, going to place a hand on the bard’s shoulder only for Jaskier to shrink back. Fear laced in Jaskier’s scent as he flinched from Geralt, hands trembling so hard the lute fell from his fingers.

Jaskier shook his head once. Twice. Eyes roaming over the room full of Witcher’s before bolting from the room.

……

The day Julian Alfred Pankratz Viscount de Lettenhove presented as an Omega, his life was over. He was 14, and his life was over. When he presented, in front of a room full of nobles and family, as dictated his position as the only son of the Viscount de Lettenhove, Julian had felt undulated fear like he had never felt in his entire life.

His Mother had sobbed, refusing to even look at Julian as his Father walked up to Julian, grabbing his arm roughly and shoving him to the floor. Nobles around him said nothing as a collar was fastened around Julian’s neck, roughly and tightly enough for Julian’s breathing to stutter. He couldn’t understand what was happening, why the nobles around him were looking at him in disgust. Why his beta Mother wouldn’t look at him. Why his Father looked like he was ready to murder his own son.

He found out quickly enough. His Father moved him from his own rooms, the rooms he’d had since he was a child, locking him into a set of rooms at the top of their home. There were no windows. No one came to see him. Julian was only allowed out for meals.

Julian knew he was a disappointment to his Father before he presented, but now his Father said it every second he could. Because now he was more than a disappointment. He was useless. He was nothing to anyone. Because Omega’s only had one purpose, and that was to reproduce. Julian would never hold titles. He would never have the freedom to do what he wanted to. He would never be a bard. Omega’s were second class citizens compared to the rest of the world. They were the last to eat, expected to wait until alpha’s and betas ate first. Julian found himself more and more often going without food as the alpha’s and betas of his Father’s court forgot he was there. Forgot the Omega had to eat as well.

Julian didn’t expect the cruelty his Father now exhibited towards him. He had been hit before, being an adventurous child who rarely did what he was told Julian expected it. But now, his Father wouldn’t just hit him. 

The night he presented, his Father dragged him to his new room, locking the door behind him. He’d stood in front of Julian, rage coursing from the alpha. The whip that struck across Julian’s back had left him weeping for hours afterwards. Julian had led a sheltered life until that point but now he understood. He understood what cruelty was. His Father made sure of it.

Julian’s first heat after presenting was excruciating. No one would tell him what it was. Why it was happening. But it was bearable. It was bearable because Jaskier was locked in his room alone for the 3 days his heat drove through him, crippling him into complete and utter helplessness.

His next heat was worse, and they only got more and more unbearable. His Father sent someone to his room on his second heat. An alpha. Julian thinks he was a nobleman a friend of his Fathers. Afterwards, Julian had laid bleeding and shivering from pain as the alpha left him. Julian lay in the bloodied sticky blankets of the bedding. Sobbing helplessly.

When his Father found him, he’d smirked. Grabbing Julian’s chin roughly, he spat in his son’s face in disgust. “Clean this mess up.” The Viscount de Lettenhove grunted, shoving Julian’s face away. Later that day a mage visited Julian. Julian, still naïve even then, presumed it was to heal his injuries. He was wrong. Of course. It wasn’t to heal his injuries. Well, only to heal one. The one that proved he was still a virgin.

This happened every heat. Once. Only once. Julian became pregnant. When his Father found out, nearly a month later, Julian was beaten the worst he’d ever been. The pain had been unbearable. But none so more than the blood that ran down Julian’s thigs as something dispelled itself from Julian’s body. A life taken, before it had even had the chance to live.

2 years after presenting, his Father returned with a nobleman. One that Julian remembered. From one of his heats. The man had leered at Julian, hands groping under the table from where he sat next to Julian. He was to marry Julian. Julian didn’t even know the alpha’s name. No one bothered to tell him. Just told him he would marry the blonde-haired alpha the next day.

That night Julian ran. All the pain, the suffering. Everything. It was too much. Julian wasn’t a fool. He knew an un-mated omega wouldn’t last 5 minutes on the road. But he didn’t care. Anything was better than staying here. To be sold like cattle by his own fucking family. 

He was lucky, really. The night before his wedding day, the alpha he was too marry came to his bedchambers. When he was done, he’d left the room without a word. Julian had laid there, tears streaming down his face, blood spotting onto the mattress. Steps faded down the hallways, but the lock to his room never clicked.

Despite the pain in his bruised body, Julian had dressed. He took one look around the room, debating what to take. In the end, Julian snuck down the servants exit in the middle of the night in a bright coloured doublet, lute strung over his back. The collar around his neck itched at Julian’s throat, but no matter what he did he couldn’t take it off. 

Julian almost went back to Lettenhove within the month. He had been wrong to presume the hands of his family was worse than being an unclaimed omega on the streets. The alpha’s were crueller. Hungrier. After all, it wasn’t often you came across an omega, much less an unclaimed one. The only thing that Julian took comfort in was that he couldn’t get pregnant. Not unless he was in heat.

Except, within two months of leaving Lettenhove, he felt it. The unbearable searing heat that filled him. And Julian panicked. He couldn’t bare the idea of coming across an alpha while in heat. They’d kill him. Hell, some of them did a fucking good try of it when he wasn’t in heat.

So Julian ran, into the woods. As far from civilisation as his burning body would allow him. And he desperately prayed that no one would find him until his body stopped betraying him. The heat ran through him, making Julian feverish in his haste to run. So much so, he didn’t pay attention to where he was going. Until he stumbled in the undergrowth, head slamming against a stone.

When he woke, he was surrounded by women. Julian had startled, trying to get to his feet but his limbs were too heavy. The heat gripped him and Julian moaned loudly. Whore. Slut. Words his Father threw at him only too often flew across Julian’s mind as the women circled him. Julian moaned again. His body responding, wanting. Even as his mind screamed no.

And no one touched him. They bathed the sweat from his body, a cool rag staying on his forehead for the 3 days it took for his heat to leave. The only touches he received in the agonising 3 days was the soft, gentle touches followed by re-assuring words. As the heat passed, Julian fluttered eyelids up at the women surrounding him. A question rested on his lips but he couldn’t make the words flow. Instead, he felt himself drift into darkness.

When he woke next he found out the women who had helped him were druids. He had stumbled into Brokilon forest in his heat induced fever. Not realising he’d even stepped foot into Druid territory where they shot down any human foolish enough to enter. But instead of killing him, they had helped him.

“Drink this.” Visenna, placed a cup underneath Julian’s chin 3 days after Julian awoke from his heat. Julian met the dark brown eyes of the druid before opening his mouth. The water was clear and cool going down his throat. Visenna nodded, placing a motherly hand on Julian’s forehead. He lifted his head to meet it. Even before he presented, his Mother had never once shown him affection in the slightest. “This will mask your Omega scent.” Visenna stated and Julian felt his heart lift. Her hand drifted to the collar at Julian’s throat, making Julian flinch ever so slightly. It was a physical reminder of what he was. Worthless. Visenna uttered a word in elder and the lock keeping the collar in place broke. Julian cried in gratitude as the metal collar was removed and was taken away by the druids.

The first town he entered Julian hesitated for a second. But as he walked through, lute slung over his back, he felt his steps grow confident. No one said a word. No one looked at him with hunger. And when he entered the tavern, singing the bawdiest song he knew, Julian felt his heart sore as the words from his reluctant words weren’t Omega slurs. Instead they called him “fucking beta nuisance.”

The next morning, Julian travelled to Oxenfurt. He had always wanted to be a bard. But presenting as an omega had stopped that. But now, the druids had made it so he no longer smelled like an Omega. He was free. For the first time in 3 years. He was free.

When he registered at Oxenfurt, he named himself Jaskier. Throwing away Julian forever.

The next 4 years Jaskier thrived in Oxenfurt. He loved every moment of it. The people, the lessons. The music, the city, the university. After the first year, Jaskier gained himself a reputation of jumping in and out of ladies and gentlemen’s beds. The idea of sex had scared Jaskier at first but he had shaken it off. He was no longer Julian the omega. He was Jaskier. The bard. And he would be damned if he let his new found freedom be ruined because of a little childhood abuse.

Jaskier graduated as a master of the seven liberal arts. His professors had been astonished, after all no one could believe the loud, brash Jaskier who never even listened in lessons would graduate, let alone with honours.

Upon graduation, Jaskier was offered a place as a professor in Oxenfurt but he declined. 4 years in one place had made Jaskier feel a bout of wanderlust. He wanted to wander. He wanted to see the world. So he decided he would be a travelling bard. He’ll admit, life on the road was difficult. Not every tavern welcomed bards and he was thrown out of a few. But he was happy. For the first time in his entire life. Jaskier was happy.

His life in Oxenfurt had left Jaskier a little sheltered to the worlds events and as he travelled he started to pick up rumours. The Witcher’s of Kaer Morhen had invaded Kaedwen when Jaskier was still a child. The reasons where conflicting, after all no one could understand why Witcher’s who had hunted monsters for years had decided to all of a sudden invade human territories. While Jaskier had been studying in Oxenfurt, the Witcher’s, led by their mysterious warlord the white wolf, had conquered half of Redania. Rumours where that they would eventually conquer the whole of the Northern continent.

People where scared of Witcher’s, rumours circulated them. Not pleasant rumours either. All Witcher’s were alpha’s and it was implied quite vividly that they would break Omega’s in bed. Sterile as they were, they slept with Omega’s not for procreation but for pleasure. More often than not their bed partners didn’t make it out alive. The small part of Jaskier’s mind that was still Julian, still scarred from the beatings and rapes his Father had subjected him to, was terrified of the idea of Witcher’s. But Jaskier buried that part of his mind as far as he could. After all, everyone was scared of Druids and the Druids Jaskier had met had given him his freedom. Had saved his life. So Jaskier didn’t believe the rumours surrounding the horrendous deeds of Witcher’s

Which is probably why when he came across a group of 10 Witcher’s in an inn one-night Jaskier ignored the fearful looks of the other people in the tavern and walked up to the Witcher’s with a wide grin on his face.

They glowered at him as Jaskier pulled out his lute and began to sing but Jaskier ignored them. There was a small blonde-haired girl sitting between a scarred Witcher and a white haired one so Jaskier quickly discarded the more risqué songs in his retinue. The Witcher’s frowned in confusion the longer Jaskier played, dancing his way through the other tavern patrons but always returning to the Witcher’s table, grin wide on his face.

Upon finishing his performance, Jaskier grabbed an ale and took a seat on an empty table in the corner. He took a long drag, eyes closed as the heady rush of his performance abated. He was, therefore, startled to find the small blonde-haired girl jumping into a seat opposite him. The white haired Witcher followed silently behind her. Jaskier glanced nervously at the Witcher, afraid the alpha had smelt through the druidic magic that masked Jaskier’s omega scent but breathed a sigh of relief when al the white haired Witcher did was lean against the wall, amber eyes fixed on the blonde-haired girl.

“How can I assist you, madame?” Jaskier said, jumping to his feet and sketching a bow to the girl which had her giggling madly. Jaskier grinned back.

“I like your singing.” The young girl replied and Jaskier grinned. He always did appreciate a thankful audience.

“Then you have my grateful gratitude.” He replied, making the girl grin.

“How do you remember all those songs?” She asked and Jaskier launched into a story of how his tutors in Oxenfurt had hammered memorisation into their students head in any way they could.

When he was finished, the girl was bent over laughing and Jaskier could swear he saw a smirk from the white haired Witcher behind her. A thrill of lust woke in Jaskier as he looked at the beautiful snow shite hair of the Witcher. He wondered how it might feel to run his fingers through the snowy locks.

“I apologise, I have forgotten my manners.” Jaskier turns his attention from the handsome stranger as the girl stops her laughing. “I have yet to introduce myself. My name is Jaskier, the great Bard of Oxenfurt.” 

“My name’s Ciri.” The girl grinned back, glancing behind her to the white haired Witcher lurking at the wall. “And the big oaf lurking over there is Geralt.” 

“A pleasure to met you good sir.” Jaskier replied, offering his hand to Geralt who grunted and took it in hand. “And how did you find my performance?” Geralt seemed to consider that for a moment before answering. His deep voice made Jaskier’s heart stammer in a bout of lust.

“They don’t exist?”

“What don’t exist?” Jaskier said, pretending mock anger. This gained a grin from Ciri.

“The creatures in your song.” Geralt answered and Jaskier felt a heat of embarrassment. While Jaskier was a travelling bard, he hadn’t actually had that many adventures. Meaning the songs, he sung he mostly made up. A sore point in Jaskier’s mind but not much he could do about it. Except…maybe. An idea began to form in Jaskier’s mind. A mad, foolish, stupid idea. But then, Jaskier had never professed to being smart.

“Then I should travel with yourselves and learn the truth about monsters. I’m sure Witcher’s can educate me better than anyone else.” Ciri squealed a yes and Geralt’s eyes flashed in shock. And maybe horror. 

“It’s bedtime Ciri.” Geralt gruffly said and Jaskier felt a wave of disappointment as the Witcher led Ciri from the room. As he watched the 10 Witcher’s go up the stairs, though, Jaskier couldn’t help but feel a certain amount of thrill. Because Geralt hadn’t actually said no.

…….

Geralt didn’t know what to do the next morning. He hadn’t actually expected the damned bard to be leaning against the stable door, obviously waiting for the 10 Witcher’s. Ciri shouted in excitement, escaping Eskel’s hand and running over to the bard. Jaskier sketched a low bow to Ciri which had her giggling again.

“What the fuck?” Lambert growled from where he had exited the tavern behind Geralt. “That’s the bard from last night?” Geralt hummed in agreement. The Witcher’s had all been surprised at the bards audacity. He’d come strolling right up to them and hadn’t even hesitated in his performance. No hint of fear. Nothing. It was…dis-orientating if Geralt was honest.

“Can Jaskier come with us?” Ciri asked as the Witcher’s approached them.

“I won’t be any trouble.” Jaskier replied, bright blue eyes meeting Geralt’s own amber ones. And Geralt couldn’t understand the flutter in his heart when he met the wide open, honest blue eyes. “Promise.” He ended the last with a small wink which had Lambert grunting back a laugh.

Geralt fully expected to lose the bard a day into their travels but a week later the damned man was still with them. Eskel, the fucking traitor, had even given the bard one of their spare horses to ride since Jaskier didn’t have one. Geralt couldn’t understand it, and to be honest neither could any of the other Witcher’s.

The bard was colourful, bright and loud. The opposite of all the Witcher’s. He laughed at small things, picking flowers from the ground when they stopped to give the horses a break, offering them to Ciri with a flourish which had Ciri doubled over giggling. When he wasn’t singing or talking he was humming, or strumming tunes on his lute as his horse ambled along the trail unled. It should have been annoying. The constant noise but it wasn’t.

In all honesty, Jaskier confused the Witcher’s. Every human they had ever met stunk of fear, running from the Witcher’s the very moment they could. Even the grateful humans were scared of them. Except Jaskier didn’t have the slightest whiff of fear about him. Not one. And it was confusing.

“Geralt, can Jaskier come back to Kaer Morhen with us?” Ciri asked one night when they had made camp. Said bard was wrapped in a blanket near the fire, snoring softly. Geralt frowned, about to refuse but Eskel interrupted him.

“Yennefer suggested we needed a court bard.” Eskel argued and Geralt growled. Yennefer was the first mage to come to the Witcher’s aid when they started to conquer the North.

“Exactly, and Jaskier graduated at Oxenfurt, he could be my new tutor.” That had Geralt raise his eyebrows. Ciri was being tutored by the Witcher’s in combat and Yennefer in magic but her other studies were sorely lacking. Not least because a keep full of Witcher’s and the fact Ciri was a menace to keep still when bored drove most human tutor’s away. The fact Ciri was offering the idea herself made Geralt’s refusal die in his throat.

“And he’s not scared of us.” Lambert continued, joining in the conversation. Geralt frowned, turning his gaze to the sleeping bard. Jaskier’s brown hair was tousled in sleep and Geralt buried the longing that built in him at the sight of Jaskier’s face scrunched up in peaceful slumber.

“He might say no.” Geralt warned, because after all no one had actually aske the bard.

“He won’t.” Ciri announced, assuredly.

……

Jaskier had enjoyed the 2 weeks travelling in the company of the Witcher’s. They were loud and often crass but Jaskier found himself enjoying every moment of it. Within a few days, he found himself relaxing into the Witcher’s company, throwing out jokes of his own which had them creasing in laughter. He knew they were apprehensive of him at first, confused as to why a human would willingly travel with them so Jaskier did everything he could to re-assure them.

Every now and again Jaskier would hear the voice in his mind that was still Julian shake in fear at the smell of the alpha’s around him but as always Jaskier refused to listen to it. Whenever those thoughts appeared, Jaskier would pull out his lute, strumming a new tune or pull the nearest Witcher or Ciri into a conversation.

Ciri had been a wealth of information when it came to Witcher’s, answering all of Jaskier’s questions without hesitation. “What do the symbols on their medallions mean?” Jaskier had asked one morning as they rode side by side.

“They’re the symbols of the Witcher’s schools. You know, the school of the wolf, cat, viper, griffin, bear.” Ciri listed off in a tone that implied Jaskier should already know this. “They all banded together under the wolf school but they’re all still very separate.”  
“And competitive.” Aidan grinned, his cat school medallion shining in the sun. Lambert growled, rolling off his horse and pushing Aidan onto the floor. Ciri and Jaskier ended up in fits of laughter watching the two grown Witcher’s brawl in the middle of the road.

The night 2 weeks after Jaskier had latched himself onto the Witcher’s company, Geralt came to sit next to him by the fire. Jaskier was a little way from the Witcher’s, lute out and hand flying across a composition notebook. Jaskier said nothing as he continued to strum and write down the tune playing in his head. “I have an offer?” Geralt grumbled, making Jaskier pause in his writing.

As Jaskier met the amber eyes in front of him, he felt like his heart would melt in the deep vibrant depths. “By all means.” Jaskier said when Geralt didn’t continue talking.

“Why aren’t you scared?” Geralt suddenly growled, taking Jaskier aback. But Jaskier was nothing if not adaptable. His place in life had made it so he had to be.

“Why would I be, dear wolf.” Jaskier said, surprising even himself when his hand came to Geralt’s jaw, fingers trailing down the rough stubble softly. Geralt grunted, eyes burning brightly as they dipped away from Jaskier’s view. Jaskier sighed deeply, collecting his thoughts for a moment. “People are scared of what they don’t understand.” Jaskier gently pulled Geralt’s amber eyes to look into his own blue ones. “It’s why they’re prejudiced against anything even remotely different.”

“And you’re not?” Geralt grumbled, voice vibrating deep in his chest.

“I’ve found there’s a lot more to be scared of things we do know of than things we don’t know anything about.” Jaskier said, truthfully. “And I’ve never believed rumours made in malice.” Geralt hummed, face leaning in slightly to Jaskier’s touch. They sat in silent for a few minutes before Jaskier asked, “You had an offer?”

“Yes.” Geralt hummed, eyes flashing for a second. “We need a bard.” 

“You’re asking me to be your bard?” Jaskier asked when Geralt didn’t expand within a few minutes. Geralt hummed.

“And Ciri needs a tutor.” Geralt grunted and Jaskier moved his hand away from Geralt’s face. “You don’t have to.” Geralt grunted, taking the removal of Jaskier’s hand as refusal.

“No…I’m not refusing.” Jaskier interrupted, grabbing Geralt’s hand when the Witcher stood to leave. “I’d love to. It’s just…a bit of a surprise.” Jaskier said honestly as he pulled Geralt back to sitting down beside him. “But…I didn’t think humans could go to Kaer Morhen?”

“Usually not.” Geralt grumbled.

“Wouldn’t you need special permission?” Jaskier asked and Geralt frowned at that. “You know, from the White Wolf?” And Jaskier hid his shock at the smile that played on Geralt’s lips then. He’d never seen the white haired man smile before and he liked it. It suited him.

“I don’t think the White Wolf would have a problem.” Geralt grumbled.

“And how would you know?” Jaskier asked, surprised to hear the other Witcher’s surrounding them had gone quiet. Listening, most likely, Jaskier thought. He’d learnt the last 2 weeks that Witcher hearing was highly impressive.

“He’s the white wolf, bard.” Lambert shouted over, the Witcher’s around him laughing loudly as Geralt seemed to look embarrassing. Which Jaskier would have thought was cute if not for the fact he was a little dumbfounded. This white haired Witcher was the White Wolf. And Jaskier hadn’t even realised.

“Well,” Jaskier replied, thankful for the bardic training which kept his voice from betraying his shock. “I would be honoured.”

….. 

Kaer Morhen was imposing. That was Jaskier’s first thoughts as he looked up at the tall dark building above them. Ciri was jumping up and down on her horse in impatience as they trekked up to the castle. As Jaskier’s horse stumbled at the uneven ground, Jaskier thought to himself that anyone wanting to lay siege to the castle would have a damned hard time about it. The last few days with the Witcher’s company had been full of stories from the Witcher’s about Kaer Morhen. 

Jaskier had gained enough stories from the 10 Witcher’s over the last month to begin writing numerous songs. One such song he perfected the previous night and intended to sing to the Witcher keep that evening, if Geralt allowed it of course. After learning who the White Wolf was, Jaskier had dragged the man away the first night after agreeing to come to Kaer Morhen to ask questions.

Geralt had looked a little startled when Jaskier pulled out a notebook, furiously writing everything Geralt told him. The inspiration for his first Witcher song, of course, was the truth behind the taking of Kaedwen. “All anyone knows about why the Witcher’s took Kaedwen is rumour and here say.” Jaskier stated when Geralt grunted about telling him the whole story. “If I’m to be the Witcher’s bard then I should know the truth so I can write a decent song about it.”

Geralt had grunted but he had relented. The actual story was rather simple. Geralt had returned to the wolf school 2 winters before taking Kaedwen with a heavy heart. His final contract had taken him to a small town called Blaviken, where a sorcerer had asked Geralt to murder a young-women by the name of Renfri. Geralt had refused to, citing that Witcher’s didn’t get involved in politics. Renfri, similarly asked Geralt to murder the sorcerer, Stregabor. Long story short, Geralt had been tricked into killing Renfir. Partly because of the Stregabor and partly because Renfri could not let go of her revenge. “She didn’t deserve to die.” Geralt grumbled and Jaskier had felt his heart break a little at the sad look that crossed the Witcher’s face. Whoever said Witcher’s didn’t feel pain was a fool.

Upon returning to Kaer Morhen for the Winter, Geralt had come to face that the worse type of monsters were humans themselves. “Took us all bloody winter to get the whole story out of him.” Lambert had added into the story, the other Witcher’s listening to Geralt’s telling. Geralt had only grunted.

“We went back on the path that spring but we all had what he said playing on our minds.” Eskel continued the story.

“Mentioned it to the other Witcher’s when they asked about Blaviken to.” Lambert added.

“Soon as we heard what happened we started to see the same thing.” Aidan agreed. “The worst monsters are human.”

“Then a rumour came about a monster killing young omega’s in Kaedwen.” Eskel grunted. “Me and the white wolf took the contract to kill the monster.” Jaskier nodded, writing down everything the Witcher’s were saying. “Turns out it wasn’t a creature killing them. It was their king.”

“Vesemir put out the word that winter to the other schools.” Auckes, one of the Viper school Witcher’s continued. Ciri had climbed onto Geralt’s lap at some point during the story, head resting on the White Wolf’s chest. “Suggesting banding together to deal with this King.”

“Next thing we know, we’ve got a Witcher army and we’ve conquered Kaedwen.” Lambert finished. Geralt grunted, hand moving through Ciri’s hair in his lap.

“The worst monsters truly are humans.” Jaskier murmured, mind flashing to a scared 14 year old boy being thrown to the ground and collared just because he had presented as an omega.

…..

Yennefer didn’t know what to expect when she received word from Geralt that they were returning to Kaer Morhen with a human bard. Geralt and the 10 Witcher’s had left Kaer Morhen over 2 months ago with Ciri to survey the land under the White Wolf’s control. Yennefer and Vesemir had been left in charge of the remaining Witcher’s and while Yennefer would never admit it, she was thankful Geralt and Eskel where returning. The politics involved with dealing with the whole of the Witcher’s conquered kingdoms was infuriating. Yennefer was willing to curse some of the ridiculous pompous lords and ladies they had to deal with in their letters. When she’d helped Geralt and the Witcher’s conquer Kaedwen that last thing she had expected was all the bloody paperwork that came with being the White Wolf’s official mage.

Of course, Yennefer would admit she was looking forward to Ciri returning. She’d wanted children for years and Ciri was like the child she had never had. The 10 year old was a bundle of energy and Yennefer loved her very much.

As Yennefer, Triss and Vesemir stood at the entrance to Kaer Morhen, Yennefer found her eyes drifting to the human bard. He was sitting on a gelding, riding stirrup to stirrup with Ciri and Geralt on either side. A lute was hanging on his back and even from this far back, Yennefer could see him talking and gesturing with his hands. Ciri was grinning widely at the brightly coloured human and, much to Yennefer’s surprise, so was Geralt. Although Geralt’s was a lot more subdued.

The bard jumped from his horse easily, eyes wide with curiosity as he looked up at the large castle in front of him. Yennefer reached forward with her mind to brush his and her eyes widened in shock as she came across a brick wall. Glancing at Triss, Yennefer saw the same look cross the brown-haired sorceresses eyes. The bards mind was protected. Hidden from view. Yennefer’s eyes narrowed as she glared at the bard. The man didn’t seem to notice, blue eyes looking all around him as he absentminded adjusted the lute bag on his back. Geralt saw Yennefer’s glare though and raised an eyebrow. Yennefer ignored him.

Reaching her magic forwards again, Yennefer pushed against the brick wall and watched as the bard stumbled for a moment, eyes blown wide in horror. Images of a forest and druids surrounding a 16 year old boy in agonising pain stumbled into Yennefer’s mind. She reached a hand out for Triss, who took it quickly, worry crossing over her own eyes as Yennefer felt the brick wall in the bard’s mind push her backwards.

When she looked up she saw 9 pair’s of amber eyes watching her in confusion. Ciri and Geralt having gone to the trembling bard who had nearly fallen over shock when Yennefer pressed against the wall in his mind. Yennefer took a moment to compose herself before brushing past the Witcher’s concern looks, coming up to face the bard.

And the bard flinched away from her. The bard that had travelled with Witcher’s for a month and had shown no sense of fear whatsoever flinched from her. “Yennefer of Vengerburg. Sorceress to the White Wolf.”

To the bards credit he quickly pushed aside the fear in his eyes and plastered on a bright smile. “Jaskier, master bard. A pleasure my lady.” He sketched a bow, taking the hand Yennefer offered to him and placing a gentle kiss on her hand.

Geralt watched the two with a frown on his face but Yennefer ignored him. Yennefer, herself an alpha, smelt the air around the bard frowning slightly. His smell was subdued to the point of non-existent. Typical for the beta that Jaskier presented himself to be but Yennefer could detect something under the surface. An old and powerful magic typical of the druids of Brokilon Forest.

“Yennefer.” Ciri shouted happily, jumping into a hug which Yennefer pulled the cub into. As she watched Geralt lead Jaskier into the keep, she watched with a slight frown on her face. The bard was holding a secret. 

……  
Life at Kaer Morhen was extremely different to anything else Jaskier had ever experienced. Either as Julian Alfred Pankratz or Jaskier the bard. The Witcher’s didn’t stand on ceremony, all laughing and joking with one another loudly at dinner. Jaskier had witnessed 3 brawls during dinner the first week alone he had been here. They were loud, uncouth, rude. And Jaskier loved it.

The Witcher’s had loved his song of their taking of Kaedwen, singing the chorus back to him every time Jaskier chose to sing it at dinner. Jaskier had been a bit apprehensive when he entered the Witcher keep. He wasn’t a complete idiot after all. The Witcher’s had been hesitant with him. At least at first. As soon as Lambert and Cohen laughed heartily at something Jaskier said, their apprehension soon left.

There were around 50 Witcher’s in the keep, all from the different Witcher schools plus another large number walking to path. Jaskier soon learnt that the other Witcher schools had been burnt down in retaliation to Kaedwen's sacking. Something Jaskier had learnt had resulted in grave consequences for those involved. Jaskier intended to make that his next ballad, once he had all the details correct of course. Geralt’s first words to him stuck with Jaskier, and he didn’t intend to write a single song that wasn’t at least 95% accurate. Allowing for some artistic licence of course.

His lessons with Ciri were certainly interesting. The girl was extremely bright and Jaskier had a hard time the first month of teaching her finding lessons which kept her attention. He was doing a great job, according to Geralt at least. Lambert had helpfully added that Ciri would have scared him off by now if she wasn’t enjoying the lessons. When Jaskier had asked how Lambert had just shook his head and said “Toads,” shivering as if the memory was too appalling to even think about. Which had just left Jaskier even more confused and Ciri laughing loudly.

The only part of Kaer Morhen Jaskier found frightening, was Yennefer. Triss, the only other mage in the castle was a sweetheart. She and Jaskier got on like a house on fire and Jaskier found he spent a lot of his free time helping her with creating potions for the Witcher’s. Yennefer however, well she terrified Jaskier. It wasn’t just the violet bright eyes which felt like they were penetrating into Jaskier’s very soul. No, it was their first meeting.

Jaskier doesn’t really understand what had happened when Yennefer had looked at him for the first time, all he remembers is the blinding pain and panic of his last heat in Brokilon forest. Jaskier was sure Yennefer knew something. But to his surprise the alpha female said nothing.

3 months into Jaskier’s stay in Kaer Morhen, he nearly collided with Yennefer on his way into the library. “My apologies.” Jaskier stammered, heart hammering as the violet eyes bore into his blue ones. “I’ll leave you to it.” Jaskier said, motioning to the table full of papers that Yennefer had left out.

Yennefer frowned for a moment. “Stay.” And how the fuck was Jaskier meant to refuse that without being rude.

They sat in silence for a few moments, Yennefer going over her papers and Jaskier reading a book on monsters he had heard the bear Witcher’s talking about. “Ciri’s enjoying her lessons.” Yennefer stated, earning a startled look from Jaskier.

“She’s a good student.” Yennefer hummed in agreement.

“She is.” Yennefer agreed. She seemed to hesitate for a moment, Jaskier keenly aware of the violet eyes on him. “I owe you an apology.”

“Whatever for my dear lady.” Jaskier replied, refusing to think back to the look in Yennefer’s eyes the day they met.

Yennefer hummed. “You’re good for the Witcher’s, little lark.” Yennefer stated and Jaskier startled again. “We won’t lose you.” Jaskier hummed in response, unsure what Yennefer was actually going on about.

“I have no plans to leave.” Jaskier replied and Yennefer nodded, violet eyes softening ever so slightly.

“Even though I am the most terrifying person you have ever met.” Yennefer asked and Jaskier cringed. He’d told that to Triss in confidence. Yennefer glared at him for a moment before a grin pulled across her lips. “I appreciate the description.” And Jaskier laughed, surprised when Yennefer joined in.

And like that, the all encompassing fear evaporated. Not all of course, but then Jaskier would have been more surprised if there was a person in the whole continent that wasn’t at least a little scared of Yennefer. She was more terrifying that all the Witcher’s of Kaer Morhen.

…….

Geralt missed the bard. Fuck…he didn’t mean to miss the fucking bard. He hadn’t meant to let the bright annoying man get under his skin. But 2 years into meeting Jaskier and he fucking well had. According to Eskel Geralt had been utterly unbearable since Jaskier had gone down the path 2 months fully intending to sing his songs to every tavern, inn and noble hall he could manage. Aidan and Lambert had gone with him, citing that the bard needed someone to watch his back. Geralt had grunted in agreement. He’d have gone himself but as the White Wolf he couldn’t exactly skirt his duties for however fucking long Jaskier decided to wander around the continent singing.

The whole keep had been oddly subdued since the bard’s departure. It had become common place to hear music or Jaskier’s lilted voice in the middle of some ridiculous story or reaming off poetry to some unsuspecting Witcher that the silence the bard’s disappearance had left had every Witcher in the place missing it. They were meant to be the scariest most dangerous things in the continent and here they all were, missing the joyous singing of a human bard.

But it didn’t matter, Jaskier was back today. Yennefer had received word the previous week that Lambert, Aidan and Jaskier were making their way back up the path to Kaer Morhen. They’d all be back today. Ciri had jumped for joy upon hearing it, grinning from ear to ear. “As much as I like Vesemir teaching me, Jaskier always makes the lessons more fun.” Vesemir grinned at the cub’s words. In truth, the old Witcher found it hard work to keep up the energetic pup and was looking forward to passing her energy back to their unsuspecting bard.

Geralt was in a council meeting with Vesemir, Eskel and Yennefer when the bard returned. He cursed silently that he couldn’t go and meet Jaskier at the stables but he knew his duty lied here. The other 3 could see his impatience, Yennefer and Eskel sharing a secretive smile while Vesemir only rolled his eyes, as Geralt paced the length of the floor. Why the hell did these diplomatic letters take so much reading and discussion.

Finally, they were finished. Geralt left straight away, running straight into Lambert on his walk to Jaskier’s rooms. “Bards a fucking genius.” Lambert was grinning. “Not one human gave us a filthy look. Hell they didn’t even stink too much of fear. Never thought it’d be possible but the little lark’s made humans like us.” Geralt grunted, heart soaring at the praise Jaskier gained.

“Where is he?” Geralt grunted and Lambert gave him a sly smile which Geralt glared at.

“Baths. Said he couldn’t bare the stink of the road a moment longer.” Lambert laughed as Geralt turned tail and stalked down to the baths.

This time of day the baths were empty. As Geralt cast his eyes around, his eyes landed on the only person sitting in the hot springs. Jaskier’s back was facing Geralt, hair dripping down his back as he leant on the stone ledge. Geralt could imagine the bard’s eyes were closed in contentment. Geralt stood for a moment, heart fluttering as he watched Jaskier move to scrub at the dirt from the road with soap. His back rippled from the movements, scars standing out in sharp contrast. Geralt pushed down the irrational anger at seeing the scars covering Jaskier’s body. The first the Jaskier had appeared in the hot springs at the same time of the Witcher’s, nearly 2 months upon arriving in Kaer Morhen, every Witcher’s alpha’s instincts had kicked in seeing the marks lining their bard’s back.

Jaskier had laughed it off, even as Geralt smelt the lingering fear in Jaskier’s scent. Not fear of them, but rather fear of whoever had caused those marks. Geralt had vowed if he ever learnt what had happened to his bard to cause such scarring, he would kill the person responsible without hesitation.

Jaskier turned his head, blue eyes shining in delight as he saw Geralt standing there. Geralt felt his heart stutter at the adoring look his bard sent him. The last 2 years, Geralt had felt something for their bard but he’d buried it. Refusing to admit that he might have feelings for someone. Witcher’s weren’t meant to have feelings. But every word, look and touch the bard sent Geralt (and every other Witcher really), reminded them that they weren’t unfeeling monsters. That they were allowed to feel. 

“You just going to stand and lurk?” Jaskier grinned, knowing his voice would carry over to Geralt. The Witcher grunted, tugging off his clothing and joining Jaskier in the baths.

Jaskier sighed, closing his blue eyes as he leant into Geralt by his side. Geralt hummed, enjoying the feeling of his bard wrapped in his arms. The man was tall, as tall as some of the shorter Witcher’s even. His muscles were well defined. Not strong exactly but defined. He was handsome, Geralt found himself thinking as Jaskier’s head rested on Geralt’s shoulder. Sitting like this, with his bard in his arms, Geralt felt his alpha instincts kick in. He wanted to protect the bard. Wanted to keep him safe from everything in the world. Wanted to claim him as his own.

“What are you thinking dear Witcher?” Jaskier’s voice broke into Geralt’s thoughts.

“I…fuck…”Geralt grunted, arms tightening around Jaskier as the bard looked up with bright blue eyes. Worry was edged in them and Geralt cursed himself softly. Yennefer had collared Geralt the week after Jaskier had left for his travels. Geralt had been a complete arse, Yennefer’s words not his. Glaring and glowering at anyone who came near. Pining, she’d said and Geralt had cursed the sorceress. 

“You miss the little lark.” Yennefer had said, and Geralt had glared deeper. Of course he did, all the fucking Witcher’s did. Jaskier was their bard. Their little lark. It was strange for him not to be there. “Not like everyone else.” Yennefer stroked a hand down Geralt’s face. She and Geralt had tried a relationship in the early days on the Witcher’s conquering Kaedwen but it had never worked. They were too much alike. To much fire and passion. It led to arguments, anger, hurtful words said. They were better as friends. “You love him.” And Geralt had wanted to protest but no one knew him as well as Yennefer did. “Tell him.” Yennefer had stated and Geralt had been battling for the last 2 months on if he should How Jaskier would take it? What if Jaskier rejected him? What if Jaskier left?

“Geralt.” Jaskier had moved so he was in front of Geralt, hand stroking through Geralt’s snowy white hair. “What’s wrong, dear wolf?”

And Geralt looked at the bright blue eyes, lips red and beautiful. He pulled Jaskier into a kiss.

…..

Jaskier made a noise of surprise as Geralt’s lips crashed into his own. Geralt startled at Jaskier’s noise, loosening his hold on Jaskier’s waist and pulling back but Jaskier didn’t let him. He wrapped a hand in Geralt’s snow white hair, pulling him back down to meet his lips. Deepening the kiss, Jaskier felt Geralt’s arms wrap tighter around Jaskier’s waist. “I love you.” Geralt grunted between their breathless kisses and Jaskier felt his heart sore in happiness.

“I love you too.” Jaskier murmured against Geralt’s lips, laughing as the alpha pulled Jaskier up so he was straddling Geralt’s hips.

That night Geralt took Jaskier to his rooms, after tucking Ciri into bed of course. And Jaskier could honestly say it was the best sex he had ever had. Geralt was kind, caring. He made sure Jaskier was fully prepared before even considering breaching him. He was gentle as he rocked into Jaskier, murmuring sweet comforting words as Jaskier adjusted. And Jaskier felt like his whole body was alight with song and music and light as Geralt held him close.

When they were done, Jaskier lay breathing deeply wrapped in the comforting confines of Geralt’s chest. Geralt’s strong arms wrapped around Jaskier’s body. And Jaskier felt protected, safe with his alpha.

……

“About fucking time.” Lambert grunted the next morning when Geralt and Jaskier walked down to breakfast, Geralt’s arm slung lightly around Jaskier’s shoulders. Jaskier went blushed slightly at Lambert’s words.

Geralt just grunted, grabbing hold of Jaskier’s waste and pulling the bard onto his lap with a shriek. Eskel rolled his eyes and Lambert laughed loudly as Geralt placed Jaskier on his lap, feeding the bard breakfast and ignoring the gathering Witcher’s.

“You won’t hurt Geralt.” Ciri said very seriously during that morning’s lesson.

“Never.” Jaskier promised and Ciri had grinned happily, wrapping Jaskier into a full-bodied hug before allowing him to start that day’s lessons.

Everything was perfect, Jaskier thought. He was happier than he had ever been in his entire life. Geralt made him happy. He loved Geralt more than he thought was possible.

Everything was perfect. Until a month into his and Geralt’s new found relationship.

….

Jaskier had been feeling a little off all day but he’d chalked it up to some sort of winter cold. Witcher’s may not get sick but humans most definitely did. That night as Jaskier stood up and went through the few songs of tonight’s performance, he felt it. The sharp flush of heat at the back of his neck, running all the way down to his groin.

His hands stilled on his lute and he felt every pair of alpha’s eyes on him as a hot flush gathered around his cheeks. Jaskier could smell the sweet honey smell that appeared at the first sign of Jaskier’s heat. He hadn’t smell that smell since he was 16 years old. Jaskier felt fear clutch at his heart as he smelt the smell of alpha arousal running through the room. The Witcher’s responding to the sharp sweet smell of an Omega in heat.

Jaskier felt Geralt’s arms rest on his arm and he shook his head. Tears leaked from his eye’s, he couldn’t do this. Not again. He felt the lute fall from his fingertips, not caring that his precious instrument may be damaged.

Geralt went to say something but Jaskier didn’t give him a chance, he bolted.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mentions of past rape, violence. Some sexual (ish) content. Please don't read if you're uncomfortable.

Jaskier gasped past a sob that burst its way past his throat as he collapsed against the door to his chambers. He hadn’t been here since he and Geralt had gotten together, a little over a month ago. His hands trembled as he worked the bolt into place. He could feel his cock growing half hard in his trousers and Jaskier collapsed onto the floor, back against the door as his body reacted to the heat.

8 years. 8 fucking years since he had ended up in Brokilon forest during his final heat. He’d thought he would never have to go through one again. He was wrong. So wrong. And now they all knew. All those alpha’s. All the Witcher’s. His friends. His chosen family. They knew what Jaskier was. An Omega. Useless. A slut. Whore. Good for one thing and one thing only. Fucking and baring children.

Jaskier blinked back tears as his body trembled with sharp tainted lust. Moaning, Jaskier rolled onto his side, stuffing a hand into his mouth to cover the sounds up. Witcher’s has sensitive hearing. His Father had always told him he sounded like a fucking filthy whore in heat. He’d had 5 heats in his entire life. This was his 6th. And thy hurt. They hurt so fucking much.

Jaskier sobbed against the feverish pain, eyes bleary with tears and lust as he curled with his back to the door. It wouldn’t keep an alpha out. Jaskier knew that. He knew a Witcher could push through that door in a moments notice. He sobbed again, staggering to his feet and nearly falling as lust boiled down in his belly as he staggered to the wardrobe at the back of the room. He grabbed the blankets from the bed, burrowing deeply into the as he huddled into the deep corner of the wardrobe as he hadn’t done since he was Julian. Hiding from the inevitable pain and torture of an alpha’s cold touch.

Distantly, Jaskier knew the Witcher’s wouldn’t hurt him. They were his friends. His family. Geralt loved him. Geralt would never let anyone hurt him. But Jaskier wasn’t in control of his mind now. Julian, the Omega part of him that he’d buried deep for the last 8 years had broken free. And he was screaming. Screaming in pain. In fear. Of the memory of foreign, harsh unwanted touches. 

…….

Geralt stood in shock as Jaskier ran from the great hall, the stark stink of fear clinging to him along with the sweet honeyed smell of an Omega in heat. The great hall was silent, disbelieving eyes locked on the door the bard had run through. Their bard. That had never once smelt even a little bit of fear, stinking of it. Of fear. Of fear of the Witcher’s.

Yennefer was the first to recover, Triss close by her side. “Stay away from the bard’s room.” Her voice was full of menace as she glared throughout the hall. “Anyone comes within 10 feet of that room and I’ll turn you into a slug.” Her voice was a low growl as she stalked from the room, Triss following close at her heels.

Cirri was in tears, watching the Witcher’s start to murmur around themselves. She couldn’t understand what was wrong. Jaskier had run and she didn’t know why. 

Geralt didn’t move. He couldn’t. His thoughts flashing through his brain in unbelieving images. His bard was scared of him. Jaskier had run from him. The alpha part of him howled in anger and misery as he thought of the man, he loved running from his touch. Sinking of fear. Of fear of what Geralt might to do to him.

…..

“Jaskier?” Triss’ soft voice filtered through the door but she wasn’t getting an answer. “You’re sure he’s in there?”  
Yennefer nodded once, violet eyes blazing. She could smell the Omega from out here, her alpha senses sharply attuned to the unclaimed omega’s. But she pushed them down. “I thought he was a beta?” Triss whispered, she was resting her head against the door, tears in her eyes. “Why didn’t he say anything?”

“Because omegas aren’t treated well in other lands.” Yennefer grunted, anger coursing through her veins. She had seen the scars on Jaskier’s back, had wondered what had caused them. Now she knew the reason at least. They had been done because he was an omega. Triss nodded once, hand resting on the door frame and knocking again.

“We don’t want to hurt you Jaskier. We want to help.” A strangled sob broke though the door and Yennefer felt her heart clench painfully at the broken sound their bard made.

“How could we not know?” Triss murmured, turning eyes onto Yennefer’s own.

“Druids.” Yennefer suddenly said, remembering the image she had seen when she had pushed into Jaskier’s mind the day they met. Of a 16 year old boy shivering in the pain of heat. She hadn’t connected the pain and fever to heat then but now it was so obvious. “Their magic must have worn off.” But for the life of her, Yennefer didn’t know why or how.

…..

Yennefer met Geralt at the bottom of the stairs leading to Jaskier’s room. “I need to see him.” Geralt growled but Yennefer growled back. Triss was standing a little way up the stiars, fierce glare on her face ready to take anyone who Yennefer couldn’t deal with down. “Yenn please.” Geralt said, voice breaking.

Eskel had broken the Witcher from his trance, telling the White Wolf to go to his mate. Because that was what Jaskier was, Geralt was realising. Jaskier may not be claimed or Geralt claimed by Jaskier but the feelings Geralt felt towards Jaskier were obvious. The bard was his mate. “Go find him, Geralt. I’ll deal with this.” Geralt had nodded, glancing at Vesemir and nodding his thanks as the older Witcher led Ciri from the room.

“You can’t.” Yennefer growled, violet eyes shining. “He won’t react well.”

“I don’t…fuck…He was scared.” Geralt growled, heart breaking just a little. His little lark. He’d been scared of Geralt. Yennefer hummed, glancing at Triss. 

“Not of you Geralt.” Yennefer rested a hand on the Witcher’s arm. “I don’t know why he was scared. But he wasn’t scared of the Witcher’s. Not because your Witcher’s at last.”

“Because we’re alpha’s.” Geralt growled in response and Yennefer’s silence was confirmation enough. “What can I do?” He asked.

“Keep everyone away.” It was Triss who answered. “No alpha’s anywhere near here.”

“I’m not moving from this spot.” Yennefer growled, glancing up at Triss. Geralt nodded. The alpha sorceresses would protect the stairway and give Triss (a beta) the room she needed to keep an eye out for Jaskier.

“And we need water. Lots of water. And food.” Triss announced, a frown appearing on her face. “I’ll portal it in. He won’t open the door.” Geralt nodded, turning on his heel and doing as Triss asked.

……

Jaskier startled awake from the light doze he had fallen into when a pop appeared in his ears. Jaskier staggered to his feet, arms feeling oddly uncooperative as he prepared to face a lustful alpha. But all that was in front of him was jug of water and a plate of bread and cheese. Jaskier staggered over to it, downing the jug of water in one. Hands shaking the whole time as the fever burnt through him.

“You’re safe, little lark.” Triss’ voice filtered through the door. “No one is coming up here. I promise.” And even as Jaskier curled in one himself in the small nest he’d made in the bottom of the wardrobe, Jaskier believed her.

…….

For the next 3 days, Geralt and Yennefer shared watches, to the bottom of the stairs leading to Jaskier’s room. Triss would appear every now and again, asking for things to be brought to her. She was dishelved, he frizzy hair wilder than usual.

In all the time not a single Witcher came in sniffing distance of that side of the castle. They could all smell the scent of the omega, a number of the younger Witcher’s had left the castle for hunting to avoid the smell. While Witcher’s weren’t as heavily reliant on their alpha intuitions as others might be, they could still smell the scent of an unclaimed omega. None of them would ever touch Jaskier not in a million years. They cared for their bard to much. But that didn’t stop them from being aroused at the scent. Didn’t stop their alpha DNA make them want to take the scared Omega and care for him.

The 3 days Jaskier was in heat were as tense as it had ever been in Kaer Morhen. When Jaskier finally came down from the heat, the whole castle seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

…….

“Jaskier, can I come in?” Triss’ voice appeared at the door. It had been a day since Jaskier’s heat had finished and he slept most of it, his body still aching from the fever.

Jaskier didn’t say anything, just buried his face into the blanket, tears running down his face. The Witcher’s would make him leave now. And with his Omega scent wrapped tightly around him in a way that it hadn’t since he was 16 Jaskier knew he wouldn’t survive out of the keep. An unclaimed Omega. He’d be dead with the month.

“Please, Jaskier, we’re worried abut you.” Triss’ voice echoed through the door and Jaskier felt guilt gnaw at him. Triss was a good person. He hadn’t meant to make her worry.

“Just you.” Jaskier found himself whisper and the brown haired beta walked through a portal into the room.

“Oh little lark.” Her voice was full of emotion as she saw him curled around the blankets and cushions, he’d pulled into the wardrobe. Jaskier buried his face into the sheet, shame bubbling low in his stomach. He must look like a mess.

Triss hesitated at the doorway for a few moments before walking briskly over to were Jaskier lay curled in on himself. A gentle hand carded through his hair and Jaskier felt a sob burst from his throat. “You’re ok now Jaskier. I promise. You’re safe.” Jaskier didn’t say a word, just leant into the comforting touch. Tears running down his face.

……

Triss ordered up water to be brought up to Jaskier’s room, as well as a bath. Geralt, Eskel and Lambert lugged the items to the door as requested. Yennefer had disappeared to reassure Ciri that Jaskier would be fine, a thing Geralt was thankful for. Someone had to watch his cub while he couldn’t. 

The door to Jaskier’s room opened and Geralt gasped a little as the sweet smell of buttercups and dandelions filled his nose. He’d smelt that smell before, clinging to Jaskier but in a much more subdued way. Before only a Witcher would have been able to smell it, now Geralt knew any alpha human or otherwise would smell that smell for miles. 

Triss stood in the doorway, blocking the Witcher’s view and access to the room. “I’ll take it.” She stated, waving her hand and Geralt watched as the tub disappeared and reappeared behind her. Lambert silently passed the water he was holding to the mage.

“More’s on it’s way up Merigold.” Triss nodded her thanks, slamming the door in their Witcher’s faces.

……

“Are you sure your ok?” Triss asked as she hovered by the door to Jaskier’s room. Jaskier just nodded, blue eyes cast down to the floor, not meeting Triss’ eyes. “I’ll be right outside if you need me.”

Jaskier nodded, relief flooding him when Triss closed and locked the door behind her. Usually Jaskier didn’t care about people seeing him naked. After 2 years spent in Kaer Morhen sharing bath’s with the Witcher’s he’d come to accept being naked around them as a way of life. Except now was different. Now he wasn’t just their friend. He was an Omega. A useless, pathetic omega.

Lowering himself into the tub of warm water, thanks to Triss’ magic, Jaskier took the soap and started to scrub. His skin was red raw when he was finished, trying to scrub the scent of flowers clouding his own nose. Hell, if he could smell it then what were the Witcher’s thinking. A single tear ran down Jaskier’s face and he wiped it away angrily.

As Jaskier pulled himself from the bath, drying himself and wrapping himself in clothes Jaskier buried down the feelings of helplessness. He ignored the way that his legs trembled at the exertion, body still recovering from the dreaded heat. Jaskier knew he had to leave and he would be damned if he didn’t leave on his own two feet.

When he opened the door to his room, Triss gave him a look of mild shock. “Jaskier, are you ok?” Jaskier nodded once, not trusting his voice to betray the emotion he was feeling. “here are you going?” She startled, glancing at the bag that Jaskier had packed before opening the door. His clothes were stored in it. Jaskier felt the sharp loss of his lute, his fingers aching for it but it was in Geralt’s rooms. Along with the rest of his things. And Jaskier’s resolve might break if he had to face the white wolf alpha.

“Jaskier, where are you going?” Triss shouted as Jaskier pushed past Triss down the stairs. 

“I can’t stay Triss.” Jaskier said, eyes pleading with the brown-haired mage to understand. “Not now. Its not fair on them.” And Triss spluttered, arm grabbing hold of Jaskier’s arm but the bard was too quick. He was down the stairs before Triss could react.

…….

“He’s what?” Geralt shouted as Triss portaled into Ciri’s room where Yennefer, Ciri and Geralt were sitting.

“He can’t just leave.” Ciri sobbed.

“He’s not leaving.” Geralt growled. Triss went to stop the Witcher from moving but Yennefer sent her a sharp look. As Geralt left the room, Triss rounded on the other mage.

“Jaskier can’t leave. He’s....” Yennefer said shutting Triss’ angry words. What she didn’t say in front of Ciri, was that Jaskier couldn’t leave because an unclaimed omega wouldn’t survive the road. A fact Yennefer thinks that Jaskier knew.

…….

“Jaskier.” Geralt’s voice shouted as Jaskier walked down the path away from Kaer Morhen. He’d ran into 10 Witcher’s on his way out of the castle, another 5 on his way out of the grounds. They all went to say something but Jaskier hadn’t let them, pushing past them in silence, refusing to listen to their shouts or questions. He knew logically that the he’d never outrun a Witcher but thankfully, none of them had tried to follow him. Except Geralt.

“Leave me alone.” Jaskier stammered, tears threatening to spill over once more as he turned to face the panicked look on the White Wolf’s face. “I can’t stay, Geralt. I’m sorry but I can’t.”

“Why?” Geralt grumbled, hand going to touch Jaskier’s arm but stopping short. And that just broke Jaskier’s heart further. His wolf wouldn’t even touch him.

“I’m an omega Geralt. I’m used. I’m useless.” Jaskier stated, his Fathers words tumbling from his mouth as he spoke. “I’m pathetic. You don’t want me.” Tears were running down Jaskier’s face now and Geralt lifted one hand to wipe away a tear.

“I want you. I love you.” And Jaskier sobbed, his resolve weakening.

“How can you love me. I’m filthy. A slut. A whore. A pathetic, stupid, useless Omega.” Geralt’s eyes flashed in anger and pain at Jaskier’s words.

“You are amazing. You are kind and gentle and caring.” Geralt growled, arm wrapping lightly around the back of Jaskier’s neck. “I love you. And I don’t care that you’re an omega. You are not useless. You are not any of those things.”

Jaskier choked on a sob, leaning back into Geralt’s touch. “I don’t want to leave.” Jaskier choked and Geralt grunted.

“Then don’t.” If it was only that simple.

“You can’t have an omega in a castle full of alphas. It’s not fair on any of you.” Jaskier mumbled. “I don’t want to turn any of you into the monsters everyone thinks you are.”

“You think we’d hurt you.” Geralt growled, lifting Jaskier’s chin so his amber eyes met blue ones. “None of us would every hurt you. Fuck, Yenn and Triss were ready to gut anyone who came within 10 feet of you.” Geralt wrapped an arm around Jaskier, bringing the omega into a hug.

“Alpha’s hurt Omega’s.” Jaskier murmured, hand fisted into Geralt’s shirt. “It’s not their fault but they do.” Jaskier repeated the words that his Father had taught him to believe. Every rape during his heats had been his fault. No one else’s. After all, even the most pious alpha couldn’t resist the stink of an omega’s heat.

“You’re wrong.” Geralt grunted, arms tightening around Jaskier’s shoulder. “It is never an omega’s fault they are hurt. It was never your fault.”

Jaskier sobbed shaking in Geralt’s arms. “Every heat. Every fucking heat.” Jaskier stammered, shaking in pain from the memories of those distant alpha’s hands on him. 

“Never again.” Geralt grumbled. “Every single Witcher will die to protect you little lark. No one will ever hurt you again.” Geralt pulled Jaskier close. “I swear it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm considering continued this fic a little. I have a few idea's on where else I can go with this so please let me know if you're interested.
> 
> Thank you for all the lovely reviews. I didn't except for this to get so many people wanting more so I will work at adding more chapters as soon as I can :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of the reviews. hope you enjoy this chapter

Ciri stood with Yennefer, Triss and 4 anxious Witcher’s waiting for Geralt to come back up the path with Jaskier. She’d tried to run after Geralt but Lambert had grabbed the back of her clothing, pulling her back to the entrance hall to wait with the others. “Not a good idea, cub.” Lambert had grunted and Ciri had turned around to give the Witcher a fierce glare. It was cut short when she saw the defeated slump in Lambert’s shoulder.

“Jaskier will come back.” Aidan grunted from where he stood shoulder to shoulder with Lambert. Lambert’s arm was still on Ciri’s shoulder to stop her from running down the path. The only thing stopping her to be fair.

Ciri turned emerald eyes up to Vesemir, pleading silently with the old wolf to confirm what Aidan was saying was true. But he didn’t. “Don’t worry cub, it’ll be fine.” Eskel grunted. Ciri didn’t believe him.

Ciri didn’t understand what was wrong with Jaskier. Not really. Yennefer had sat her down a few days after Jaskier running from the great hall and tried to explain. Ciri knew about Alpha’s, Beta’s and Omega’s. She knew all the Witcher’s were Alpha’s. She didn’t really understand what it meant, other than Alpha’s were inherently stronger and more powerful than Beta’s and Omega’s. Ciri also understood that Omega’s were extremely rare, 1 Omega to every hundred people in the continent was what Yennefer had said. Which was why Omega’s were seen as a great prize and any unclaimed Omega was immediately sort after by every Alpha within smelling range of them. 

Ciri understood that Jaskier was an unclaimed Omega. Which, according the Yennefer, put him in danger. What Ciri couldn’t understand was why Jaskier had seen the danger in the Alpha’s in Kaer Morhen. When he’d run from the great hall, Ciri had seen the Witcher’s reactions. The Witcher’s who Ciri had never once seen scared in since she had arrived in Kaer Morhen on the shoulders of Geralt at the age of 6, were scared and upset.

They had watched the fleeing bard with worry and pain in those amber eyes. Every single one of them. And Geralt’s face had been the worst.

Only Vesemir, Triss and Yennefer had not had that look. Vesemir had taken on a protective look on his face. Ciri was sure that if she hadn’t been sitting there he would have followed Yennefer and Triss out of the room to Jaskier. Instead, he had removed Ciri from the room the second he could. Yennefer and Triss faces had also turned protective. Yennefer’s violet eyes gleaming in the light. Ciri had wanted to follow the 2 sorceresses when they left the room to follow Jaskier but Vesemir had stopped her. She hadn’t been allowed to see Jaskier since.

.....

Jaskier kept his eyes on the ground as he walked next to Geralt up the path to Kaer Morhen. He felt like a fool for his outburst. The Witcher’s didn’t deserve it. Geralt didn’t deserve to have to come and bring him back like an errant child. As Geralt walked behind him, hands hovering as if he wanted to touch Jaskier but didn’t, Jaskier couldn’t believe how foolish he’d been. The Witcher’s didn’t deserve to have to deal with his childish pathetic Omega behaviour.

Geralt had told him he wasn’t pathetic. That he wasn’t just a useless Omega. He’d said it with such truth in his voice but Jaskier knew better. He knew how the world treated Omega’s. His Father had made sure he knew exactly what his worth was. The only thing that Geralt had said that Jaskier believed was that he was safe with the Witcher’s. It was the only reason he followed Geralt back up the path. Selfish as it was, to put the Witcher’s in the position of having to control themselves around and unclaimed Omega, Jaskier knew he would not be safer anywhere else. At least, not until he found a way to re-do what the Druid’s of Brokilon Forest had done to him. Once he had suppressed his Omega smell, stopped the heats from ever returning, then he would leave. Because it was best for them all if he wasn’t there.

Jaskier stopped a few paces from the doorway to Kaer Morhen. Yennefer, Triss, Vesemir, Ciri, Lambert, Eskel and Aidan were standing at the entrance watching as he and Geralt walked up the path. ‘I can get them to leave.” Geralt grunted. He’d stopped by Jaskier side, hesitantly placing a hand on the bard’s shoulder.

“No. It’s fine.” Jaskier stated, glad his voice didn’t betray the emotions in his voice. Geralt just hummed, probably not believing him. Gods, Jaskier thought, Geralt would hate him now wouldn’t he. An Omega who needed constant care. The White Wolf would think he was a burden, someone he had to protect. To look after. All the time. Useless, pathetic.

Jaskier hadn’t even made it two further paces before a ball of blonde-hair flew herself at him, nearly toppling him over. Ciri jumped in an athletic feat that only Witcher’s could have taught her, wrapping her arms around Jaskier’s shoulder and wrapping her legs around his waist. Jaskier staggered, arms going round her middle to help offset the weight around his shoulder. He couldn’t help the laugh that burst out of him as he hugged the girl back.

“Hello to you to Ciri.” Jaskier grinned. 

“You smell nice.” Ciri announced, face buried in Jaskier’s neck. Jaskier stiffened for a second before pushing it away. “Like a meadow.” She announced happily.

“I...Thank you.” Jaskier stuttered out. No one had ever said they liked his Omega smell. All anyone had ever said was that it was a distraction. To be told that it was nice was...unexpressed.

“Come on Ciri, let go of the little lark.” Eskel grunted and Jaskier tried not to let the startle show in his face. He hadn’t seen the others advance, his face full of Ciri’s blonde hair.

Ciri groaned but did as she was told, letting go of Jaskier and dropping to her feet nimbly. She turned around and stuck her tongue out at the glare Lambert sent her.

Jaskier stood a little awkwardly as the eyes of 4 Witcher’s turned to him. He felt a bit like shuffling his feet but kept as straight as he could, meeting there glares with what he hoped was his normal smile. If he was going to stay in Kaer Morhen until he found a way to suppress his Omega scent then he would not give the Witcher’s the burden of having to worry about him while he was here. Eskel, Lambert and Aidan frowned at Jaskier’s look but said nothing. Geralt wasn’t even looking at him, back turned and that made Jaskier’s heart sink. Vesemir gave Jaskier a look which...honestly the Omega couldn’t even begin to decipher the look in the old wolf’s eyes.

“Come on Ciri, you have lessons.” The old wolf growled after a moment of awkward silence. Ciri groaned, grabbing hold of Jaskier’s hands before any of the wolf’s could stop her.

“Jaskier, can you please take my lessons today?” Ciri asked, emerald eyes turning up to look at Jaskier. He looked up for a moment, meeting Vesemir’s eyes who nodded once.

“Of course, little cub. Please lead the way.” Ciri grinned excitedly, pulling at his arm as she led the way back into Kaer Morhen.

.....

Geralt sat in the council room with Yennefer, Vesemir and Eskel not an hour after he had brought Jaskier back up the path. He had sent Lambert, Triss and Aidan off to inform the other Witcher’s that their bard was now safely back in Kaer Morhen.

“How will having an Omega affect the Witcher’s?” Yennefer started the conversation they were all dreading to have. Ever the practical one. Geralt stood in a corner, glaring into the fire.

“It won’t.” Vesemir replied. “None of the Witcher’s will touch him.” 

“You can’t be certain.” Yennefer argued. “Have any of you Witcher’s ever been in close proximity to an Omega.” Yennefer’s violet eyes flashed across the room. “It will affect every alpha in this castle, having an unclaimed Omega around. You must felt the need to have Jaskier when you smelt the heat.” Geralt let out a low angry growl at Yennefer’s words but the mage didn’t even acknowledge the words. “I know I felt that.”

“And your protective instincts kicked in within seconds.” Vesemir growled back. “As did my own. Not one Alpha would have been unaffected by an Omega in heat. But I am sure every Witcher felt the need to protect Jaskier ahead of every other feeling.”

“I agree.” Eskel grumbled. “Every Witcher I’ve spoken to since this happened has asked the same things. How Jaskier is, if they can help, what they can do.” Yennefer nodded her agreement. Geralt kept his eyes turned to the fire. “How did he even hide that he was an omega for so long?” Eskel asked.

“Druids.” This finally took Geralt’s attention from the fire to face Yennefer. “I felt something the day he turned up in the keep, a memory. I didn’t understand it at the time.” A grimace flashed across Yennefer’s face as she spoke. “From what I understand the Druid’s of Brokilon found him and somehow suppressed his Omega scents and heats. It’s old magic. Powerful magic.” Her eyes were flashing in thought as she spoke.

“Then why did it break?” Eskel asked and Yennefer shook her head.

“I don’t know.” 

Silence reigned in the small room for a few moments, allowing Geralt to shift through his thoughts. He hadn’t had a moment to himself since this whole mess started, mind to focused on worry for Jaskier. Confusion as to why Jaskier would be afraid of them. He thinks he understands now. And it breaks his heart. All he wants to do is wrap his little lark in his arms and never let go. Never let anyone hurt Jaskier again.

“Why was he scared?” Eskel again, a pained note to his voice. Geralt could understand it. Every Witcher he had spoken to in the last few days had held that same note of pain in their voice when speaking of Jaskier. “He’s never been scared before.” And that was why the Witcher’s had fallen under Jaskier’s charm so quickly. Because the bard treated them like humans. Not monsters or warlords conquering their lands. He treated them like human beings.

“Not everyone in the continent are so accepting of Omega’s.”. Yennefer growled, eyes turning dark. “Have you ever met an Omega before?” Both Eskel and Geralt nodded.

“And how did they seem?” Yennefer asked.

Geralt and Eskel met each other’s eyes. She’d been a slight girl, barely 18. The last victim of the King of Kaedwen before the Witcher’s had taken his country from him and his life. She’d been terrified, screaming in a fit of fear. A collar fitted around her neck, bruises on every part of her naked body. Fear stinking the whole room. She’d died a few hours later from her wounds. Not even Yennefer or Triss’ magic could save her, the wounds to severe from her brutal treatment. Geralt looked at Yennefer’s eyes and knew she was remembering the same girl.

“The Witcher’s outlawed the use of collar’s. Decreed that Omega’s weren’t second class citizen. That they had rights to everything any beta or alpha did.” Geralt nodded. It had been the first order he had given when he was named warlord of the Witcher’s. “And for the most part people in your provinces listen. They treat their Omega’s with respect because they are afraid of the Witcher’s ire. No one else in the continent does that.”

“Triss and I have been to courts outside of the White Wolf’s territory. We’ve seen what happens to Omega’s. They wear collar’s to identify who and what they are. They have no rights or access to education after they turn 14. Granted, some are happy. If they are bonded to an alpha that treats them well, that loves them. Then they’re happy.”

“An unclaimed omega is very rare. Even if there Alpha is cruel, all claimed Omega’s are grateful because a claimed Omega has protection from their alpha. No one will dare touch a claimed Omega. I’ve never seen an unbound Omega outside of children, children who are protected by their families until they find them an Alpha who will look after them. Now imagine what would happen to an Omega that was unbounded, who had no family. No Alpha to protect them.”

And Geralt could imagine. Because he had seen the scars on Jaskier’s body. Had seen the way Jaskier had reacted to being outed as an Omega. He was terrified. Not because he feared Witcher’s. But because his life as an Omega had made him terrified of what Alpha’s were capable of. Geralt growled low in his throat of the thought of anyone laying a harsh hand on Jaskier. Every heat, every fucking heat he’d said. The growl in Geralt’s chest grew louder as he imagined his bard helpless because of something he couldn’t control, being used by Alpha’s.

“No one will touch Jaskier here. He will be safe.” Eskel said, placing a hand on Geralt’s shoulder to calm the anger rolling from the white haired Witcher in droves.

“jaskier is our Omega now.” Vesemir added, meeting Geralt’s amber eyes. “He’ll be protected by every Witcher here.”

......

Jaskier was avoiding him, Geralt noticed. All of the Jaskier’s belongings which had been slowly creeping into Geralt’s space this last month vanished. Gone. It was like the little lark had never even been near Geralt’s rooms. Geralt still saw Jaskier. Jaskier still performed every night to the Witcher’s in the great hall.

The first night he appeared at the table for supper, the Witcher’s had grown silent, all eyes turning to Jaskier who looked like he was ready to bolt there and then. Until Lambert shouted “What the fuck are you all staring at?” And every Witcher’s eyes had looked downwards. Lambert had then proceeded to clap Jaskier on the back saying “Good to have you back little lark.” And Jaskier had ducked his head.

“Miss me Lambert, getting soft in your old age.” And Cohen had burst into laughter at Jaskier’s words, dissipating the remaining tension between Jaskier and the rest of the Witcher’s. Slowly, Jaskier started to act as he had before the Witcher’s found out about him being an Omega. It helped that none of the Witcher’s, of an school, acted like anything had changed. Geralt’s heart had warmed to see Jaskier grinning and laughing again.

Except Jaskier still wouldn’t come near him. Geralt couldn’t understand why. In his mind, Jaskier being an Omega didn’t change anything. Because Geralt still loved Jaskier. He didn’t care that he was an Omega. His feelings hadn’t changed. If anything his feelings had intensified. He wanted to protect Jaskier. Look after him. Love him. Cherish the Omega. “And that is your problem.” Geralt refused to admit he jumped when Yennefer appeared from inside a portal in Geralt’s rooms where he had been sitting brooding.

She glared at him with her violet eyes, smoothing down her dress as she took a seat on his bed. “What’s the fucking problem? Nothing’s changed.” Geralt growled.

Yennefer rolled her eyes. “Everything’s changed. At least between you and Jaskier.” geralt narrowed his eyes in confusion. What the hell was Yennefer talking about. Yennefer sighed and glanced up at the ceiling before answering. “You love Jaskier.” Yennefer said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “And because you love him, you’re feelings towards the little lark are different to the rest of the alpha’s here. They want to protect him, yes, but they don’t want to bed him. They see Jaskier as a friend.”

Geralt still didn’t understand, which had Yennefer rolling her eyes again. “Surely you flt the change in your emotions when you found out Jaskier was an Omega.”

“No.” Geralt growled.

“Fucking, emotionally constipated Witcher.” Yennefer glared at him. “Every fucking alpha in a hundred miles could smell it on you. You want the little lark.”

“I’ve wanted Jaskier since before I knew he was an omega.” Geralt growled.

“Not like now. The minute you found out Jaskier was an omega you’ve smelt of an overprotective dick of an alpha. An alpha that’s trying to lay his claim on Jaskier.” And Geralt felt himself flinch. He’d thought it, a few times. he wanted to claim Jaskier. But he would never force the Omega. “I know you wouldn’t force him.” Yennefer sighed, and Geralt cursed the mage’s mind reading ability. “And so does Jaskier. But have you ever thought that all Jaskier can smell from you is an overprotective alpha that doesn’t care what an omega wants.” 

Geralt was speechless for a moment. That was the last thing he wanted Jaskier to think. “I need to apologise.” Geralt hadn’t meant to scare Jaskier. He loved the omega. He just wanted to protect him.

“No,”. Yennefer fixed Geralt with a glare with her violet eyes. “You need to tell him how you feel.” Geralt shook his head minutely. He didn’t want to scare Jaskier off, it was the last thing he wanted. “You need to talk to your bard because I think your bard feels the same way about you.”

.....

3 weeks after Jaskier’s heat, and Jaskier was slowly coming to accept his new normal. It helped that no one in the keep treated him any differently. Lambert still made inappropriate jokes with him. He was still welcome at each of the Witcher school’s tables in the hall at dinner, taking notes as they told their bard of their Witcher heroics. Eskel still clasped him on the shoulder in greeting. Ciri still loved his lessons. Yennefer still shared her wicked sense of humour with him. Everything was the same. Except it wasn’t. Because of Geralt.

Because Jaskier could have pretended nothing had happened with every single other person in Kaer Morhen because no one else treated him any differently. Geralt did. Jaskier could smell the want in the White Wolf’s scent. Geralt had wanted him before, yes, but this was different. This was a scent that was so similar to every other alpha he had met as an omega until the Witcher’s of Kaer Morhen. Except it was also different. Geralt wanted him, but underneath that powerful intoxicating alpha musk was something else. Protectiveness. Jaskier had smelt the same smell when he’d met an omega a few years after the druids had freed him of his ocean scent. The alpha had smelt of love. Of protectiveness, all directed at the young omega woman on his arm. That was how Geralt smelt. Like he wanted to protect Jaskier.

And Jaskier wanted him to. He wanted to stand next to his alpha, wrapped safe in Geralt’s arms. Knowing that he would never have to be afraid again. Knowing Geralt would protect him. Because he was Geralt’s. And that was what scared him.

The knowledge that Geralt wanted him, didn’t scare Jaskier. No what scared him was the clear scent of love that Geralt directed at him. It scared the shit out of Jaskier because what right did he have to someone as kind and caring and loving as Geralt.

So, coward that he was, he avoided the white haired alpha. Because every second spent in his company made Jaskier’s resolve lesson. Made Jaskier want to run into Geralt’s arms and never ever let go. Made Jaskier want to let Geralt mark and claim him as he’d never thought he would want an alpha to do.

All of this was what brought Jaskier outside Triss’ door that morning while the Witcher’s were outside training. Because he couldn’t spend another day in Kaer Morhen. Couldn’t risk Geralt claiming him. Not because he didn’t want it because Gods above he wanted more than he had wanted anything in his entire life. No, he had to leave because it wasn’t fair on Geralt to be saddled with such a pathetic and useless Omega. Because Geralt deserved so much better. Because the overprotective love in Geralt’s scent had only appeared in response to Jaskier’s reveal as an omega. Because Geralt only wanted to protect Jaskier because he was a decent kind person. Not because he loved Jaskier. But because he wanted to protect and cherish an omega. And Jaskier was positive there were better omega’s out there. Ones less damaged, less scarred...less used than him. Ones that would be better for Geralt.

So he knew what he had to do. The druids had managed to hide his omega self for 8 years. If they could do it then, then they could do it again. And it was the only way that Jaskier would be able to survive outside of Kaer Morhen, without the protection of the Witcher’s.

So he closed his eyes and gathered the last of his resolve, knocking on the mage’s door. He needed to do this. It didn’t matter that every part of him screamed that he didn’t want to do leave. That he didn’t want to lose the only people in the whole world who had ever cared about him. He had to do it to free Geralt from him.

........

“Jaskier.” Triss’s grin faded as soon as she saw Jaskier standing outside her rooms. His hands were nervously playing with the strap of his lute case slung over his back, eyes downcast to the floor, brown hair tousled as if he’d been running his hands through it. “What wrong, little lark?” Triss, asked, placing a hand on the Omega’s shoulder. Jaskier leant a little bit into the touch but seemed to catch himself as soon as he’d started and took a step back.

“I need a favour.” Jaskier stated, voice even as his bright blue eyes turned up to meet Triss’.

“Anything.” Triss replied immediately.

Jaskier paused for a moment, glancing up and down the hallways nervously. As the silence stretched, Triss’ apprehension built. Finally Jaskier lifted his blue eyes to once more meet hers. “I need to go to Brokilon Forest.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mentions of rape and child abuse in this chapter

“Jaskier, I’m not sure about this.” Triss placed a hand on jaskier shoulder, stopping Jaskier from walking through the Ribbon and into Brokilon Forest.

“You don’t have to come Triss.” Jaskier turned his eyes to meet Triss’ the determined look in his eyes still in place. Triss sighed mentally. Yennefer was going to kill her. Then Geralt. But Jaskier had looked so desperate. Triss didn’t make it a habit to look in people’s minds often but she had looked in Jaskier’s then and what she had seen had persuaded her in an instant that she had to take Jaskier to Brokilon. Because the bard was in pain. Mourning for the loss of the freedom he had been granted 8 years ago. A freedom that only the Druids were able to grant him. So Triss had agreed. Even though she had seen in Jaskier’s mind that he didn’t intend to return to Kaer Morhen. It didn’t matter. Triss would miss him, all the Witcher’s would miss him. Jaskier had brought light and happiness and friendship to all their lives. But none of that mattered if Jaskier was unhappy. If leaving Kaer Morhen was what was best for Jaskier then Triss was willing to ignore her own feelings. Because Jaskier deserved to be happy. He deserved to be free.

“No, lead on.” Triss motioned, following closely as Jaskier led the way through the knee high depth of the Ribbon.

.....

Jaskier’s felt Triss tense as they got to the other side of the Ribbon. He understood why, Brokilon Forest was intimidating, the trees hanging over into the river casting a dim twilight in the afternoon light. Taking a fortifying breath, Jaskier led the way into the forest.

They had barely made it 5 feet into the forest when 3 Druid’s appeared from behind a tree. Triss grabbed Jaskier’s arm, tightening her grip as if ready to pull Jaskier away from the danger but Jaskier ignored her. “I’m looking for the Druid Visenna.” Jaskier said, his voice far braver than he was actually feeling.

The last time he had come to Brokilon Forest he had been half mad with heat, not even noticing his feet carrying him deeper and deeper into the Druid’s territory. This time he was entering in full control of his mind. And well, he’d be a fool not to be scared of what the Druid’s would do. They rarely let anyone enter their lands and live to tell the tale.

One of the Druid’s, her blonde hair hanging down to her knees stepped forwards. “What is your business with Vesenna?”

Jaskier swallowed. Honestly, he didn’t even know if the Druid who had helped him would remember him, let alone help in a second time. “She helped me once. 8 years ago. I need her to help me again. Please.” The blonde haired Druid glanced over her shoulder at the other 3 Druid’s. Triss’ hold on Jaskier tightened as the blonde haired Druid walked backwards. Before either Jaskier or Triss could say anything they had vanished.

“Now what?” Triss asked, slowly loosening her grip on Jaskier, eyes nervously glancing around them.

“I guess we wait.” Jaskier responded, taking a seat on on of the nearby rocks. He ignored Triss’ questioning looks as he pulled out his lute. Gently, he started to strum the strings, taking comfort in the melodies flowing from his fingers. Slowly, Triss took a seat next to him, face contorted in a frown as she watched Jaskier sing the praises of the Druids of Brokilon Forest.

......

The sun was setting when a Druid woman appeared in the underbrush. Jaskier didn’t notice her at first, eyes downcast as his fingers strummed his lute. If not for Triss going suddenly very still beside him he honestly didn’t think he would have. As Jaskier looked up, the flowing tune cut off slowly.

“Don’t stop.” The Druid said, face half in darkness from where she stood beside a tree. Jaskier hummed in acknowledgement and continued his singing. This was a rather sad song of a human who had fallen in love with a Druid. He had been killed because of his love. The Druid finding his body soon after, grieving her loss flowers had sprung from the body of her beloved, a scattered mound where flowers bloomed always. Jaskier didn’t know what truth there was in the tale but he had always loved the song. The simple beauty and love drawing him in. 

By the time he had finished, a dozen other Druid’s had appeared, all half hidden in the tree’s, watching Jaskier in fascination. When he finished, the blonde Druid from before stepped forwards. He blue eyes were bright with tears and a smile was on her face. “A beautiful song song bird.” Jaskier stood and offered the Druid a bow. “Visenna will see you now.” 

Jaskier nodded, placing his lute back in it’s case and strapping it across his back. Triss stood to follow him as he walked towards the Druid but a brown haired Druid drew a bow and pointed an arrow at the Sorceress . “Only the bard.”

“It’s fine. I’ll be fine.” Jaskier turned to face Triss with a reassuring smile. Triss kept hold of his gaze for a few moments before nodding.

“Any harm comes to the bard they’ll have me to deal with.” Triss growled.

......

Yennefer cursed as she unfolded the paper Triss had her on her dressing room table. She hadn’t been back to her own rooms all day. Between her talk with Geralt and then lessons with Ciri she’d been pre-occupied. Now she cursed her own stupidity. She should have known. Should have realised the bard was going to do something stupid. Because, well, Jaskier was always dong something stupid.

But Triss. The last thing Yennefer had expected was for Jaskier to go to Triss. It made her heart hurt in a way that she didn’t expect. That the bard would go to Triss and not her. Yennefer had thought they were friends. The barbed comments shared between the two cementing what Yennefer had always seen as one of her closest friendships. But Jaskier hadn’t gone to her for help. He’d gone to Triss. He’d abandoned Yennefer. And it hurt.

.......

Geralt walked down to the great hall for dinner that night with a heavy heart. His talk with Yennefer had highlighted his behaviour, of how inconsiderate of Jaskier he was being. Geralt wanted to talk to the bard. Wanted to apologise for his behaviour. Wanted to apologise for making Jaskier uncomfortable because Geralt was sure he was making the Omega uncomfortable. Why else would Jaskier be avoiding all the time. And he wanted to talk to Jaskier about what Yennefer had said. About Jaskier wanting the same thing as Geralt. That Jaskier wanted Geralt as much as Geralt wanted Jaskier.

Except he couldn’t have the fucking conversation when he couldn’t find the fucking bard. He’d spent most of the day since his conversation with Yennefer searching for the omega and hadn’t found him anywhere. It was beyond infuriating. The only positive thing was that Jaskier was guaranteed to be at dinner. It wasn’t the best place to corner someone, especially when Geralt didn’t want to make Jaskier uncomfortable, but at least it would give Geralt the chance to ask Jaskier to talk to him after dinner in a more private setting. The bard wouldn’t refuse a request to talk. At least Geralt hoped he wouldn’t.

As Geralt rounded a corner, he nearly collided with Yennefer. The mage was vibrating anger and hurt, violet eyes ablaze with it. Geralt took an involuntary step back because Yennefer was blazing unchecked chaos in a frightening display. No one would mess with the mage like that. Not even a fucking Witcher. 

“What happened?” Geralt growled because something truly terrible must have happened to have Yennefer in the state she was. “Is Ciri ok?’ Geralt asked immediately after because only Ciri could get the mage to show this level of emotions. Geralt’s heart clenched at the thought of something happening to his cub.

“Ciri’s fine.” Yennefer said, and Geralt felt relief wash over him. Glancing down, Geralt saw Yennefer had a piece of paper clutched in her hand. “It’s Jaskier.” And now the pain and worry in Geralt’s heart returned double fold. Protectiveness washed over him, a low growl rumbling from his throat in the need to protect his Omega. “Triss took him to Brokilon Forest.”

......

Jaskier was left in a small clearing, the moon shining down and highlighting the flowers scattered around. Jaskier rubbed his hands nervously as a Druid he remembered only from fever pitched dreams walked forwards. Visenna. He long brown hair came to the base of her spine, brown eyes wide in wonderment. 

“The others tell me you have a beautiful voice Julian.” And Jaskier tried not to flinch at his given name he truly did but he couldn’t help it. Only bad things had ever happened to Julian. Visenna had something metal in her hands, the metal glinting under the moonlight.

“It’s Jaskier now.” Jaskier replied. Visenna nodded, motioning to underneath a large oak. Jaskier settled on the soft grass as Visenna sat opposite her. She dropped the metal item in her hand next to her.

“You asked for me.” Visenna took hold of Jaskier’s own hands, wrapping them in a tender motherly hold.

“I need your help, pease.” Jaskier said, trying to keep his voice even but all of the emotion from the last month was rushing forwards. Visenna said nothing, brown eyes fixed on Jaskier’s face as she kept a hold of his hands. “I don’t mean to be ungrateful. You did so much for me. more than you could ever know.” Jaskier continued because he was suddenly gripped with the thought that him coming here, asking for help when the druids had already done so much may come across as ungrateful.

“We only did what was right.” Visenna responded, voice rough like oak. jaskier shook his head.

“You did so much more than that.” Jaskier felt his voice choke on the words, small tears running down his face. He remembered the fear, the overwhelming pain his heat always brought him. The knowledge that his body was betraying him in the worst possible way imaginable. “Anyone else would have...”. here he found himself trailing off, unable to utter the words of what would have happened to him if anyone else but the Druids had found him that day.

Visenna smiled ally. “All creatures deserve kindness. No matter who or what they are.” And Jaskier choked on a sob. Because very few people in his life had ever shown him kindness. The Druids had been the first. And then the Witcher’s. And with the thought of the Witcher’s, of Geralt, Ciri, Yennefer; Jaskier’s heart tightened once more. They were his family. And he was abandoning them like a coward. Even if he knew it was for the best it still hurt so much.

“What you did for me.” Jaskier continued. “It wore off. I know I don’t have the right to ask for help but I need it. I can’t survive like this. I can’t...Please can you help me?” 

Visenna frowned at Jaskier. “Our magic shouldn’t have worn off.” She said, staring into Jaskier’s wide blue eyes. “Not unless you bonded. Not unless you were claimed.”

“I’m not.” Jaskier stammered. It was the one humiliation he had never faced as an Omega, the bit of an alpha claiming him as theirs.

Visenna frowned further. “Not in the traditional sense.” She stated. “But in the sense of your heart. Of what you want. Of what you feel towards this alpha. You are claimed in all but the act.” And Jaskier felt like he’d just been stabbed through the heart. Geralt. The white haired Witcher who had so easily stolen Jaskier’s heart, swept the omega off his feet. Jaskier loved him with everything he had. And that was the reason he needed to leave. Because it wasn’t fair to tie Geralt to him, to force the Witcher to look after a useless Omega like him. 

Jaskier didn’t notice Visenna stand up and leave. Too focused on his own thoughts. Of what would happen to him now. Because he could never expect Geralt to want him. To claim him. And without Geralt’ claiming him, Jaskier would never be free again. he would be an unbounded, unclaimed Omega for the whole world to see. For every alpha to see.

Not for a second did Jaskier entertain the thought that he could go back to Kaer Morhen. The Witcher’s would welcome him back. They would protect him. Geralt would protect him. They would protect the useless pathetic omega that was Jaskier because they were good kind people. They deserved so much better than Jaskier.

Moonlight glinted on metal on the forest floor opposite Jaskier. With shaking fingers, Jaskier picked up the metal collar that he had left in Brokilon Forest all those years ago when he had gained the freedom from being an Omega. Jaskier sobbed brokenly as his fingers calloused from years playing the lute traced the fine steel collar. A concrete symbol that Jaskier would never be free again.

.....

“Where is he?” Geralt growled at Triss, amber eyes narrowed in untamed anger. Triss stifled the flinch she the White Wolf crowded into her personal space. It reminded Triss of an overprotective alpha looking for their injured mate. Which, Triss thought, was quite an apt description for what Jaskier was to Geralt. Yennefer followed behind Geralt, violet eyes spinning in anger. But Triss had known the other mage long enough to see the concealed hurt and pain in Yennefer’s eyes.

“This way alpha.” A Druid that hadn’t been standing with Triss a moment ago suddenly spoke up. Geralt’s eyes flashed once at Triss, a growl vibrating up his chest before he turned stalking after the Druid.

Yennefer’s violet eyes met Triss’ for a second and the beta felt a sudden flash of guilt at the pain in Yennefer’s eyes. “Jaskier knew you wouldn’t have agreed.”

“You shouldn’t have.” Yennefer snarled, turning her back to glare daggers at the druids blocking her way from following Geralt. Triss felt no guilt at Yennefer’s words though because she knew she had done the right thing. Maybe not for the rest of them but it had been the right thing to do for Jaskier.

.....

The sharp sweet scent of buttercups and dandelions had Geralt nearly tripping over his own feet in his haste to get to his omega. In the middle of a moonlit clearing, Jaskier knelt on the ground sobbing brokenly, body bent in double as the omega’s hands clutched at the grass around him. His flowery scent tarnished with the sharp tang of pain and hurt.

Geralt felt his own alpha instincts kick into overdrive at the sight. Overcome with a need to comfort his mate, Geralt almost drew his sword on the Druid when she put an arm on his shoulder. “Not here Witcher.” She stated and Geralt had to force himself to remove the hand on his sword. It wouldn’t do well to start a war with the Druid’s. 

The Druid’s eyes were turned to Jaskier a sad look playing in them. When she turned to face Geralt he stumbled back at the look of pain in her eyes. “He came to us in pain. More pain than any living creature should ever have to face. He was desperate.” Geralt’s heart twisted painfully at the thought of Jaskier, his Jaskier, hurting. “I tried to help him. The others said I was a fool that a human did not deserve our kindness.” The Druid’s brown eyes looked at him knowingly for a moment. “But you know don’t you. The omega isn’t like other humans. He doesn’t fear creatures such as us. Doesn’t run from the things that makes us different. He sees beauty were others see a monster.” Geralt nodded, remembering the brave bard they had met on the highway not a phased in the slightest travelling alongside Witcher’s. How he treated them like humans, like people where no one else ever had. “He needs you. Take care of him.” And with that the Druid disappeared into the forest.

Geralt didn’t hesitate as he bounded across the distant separating him from Jaskier, dropping to his knees in front of the trembling Omega. The overwhelming need to protect, to comfort, overtaking every other thought.

.........

“Jaskier,”. Jaskier sobbed eyes trained on the broken collar in his hands. “Little lark, look at me. Please.” Geralt’s voice sounded so broken and it just made Jaskier cry harder. Geralt didn’t deserve to be in pain, to be hurt. It was Jaskier’s fault. For being just a useless and pathetic omega.

“Please little lark, talk to me.” Geralt’s voice grumbled. His amber eyes shone in the moonlight when he placed a finger under Jaskier’s chin, tilting Jaskier’s head to look at him. Geralt let out a gasp and Jaskier blushed in shame. He could only imagine what he looked like. Dishellved. Eyes red from crying. Pathetic. Useless. “Fuck, Jask. Please...tell me what I can do. Tell me how to fix this.” And Jaskier sobbed again, body bending forwards as he curled in on himself on the forest floor. He didn’t deserve Geralt’s love. He didn’t deserve Geralt’s protection.

A warm hand appeared on Jaskier’s back, rubbing gentle circles back and forwards and Jaskier’s. Traitorous body leaned into it. Leaned into his alpha. “Please go.” Jaskier winced at the croaky quiet voice that came out of him. “Please, you can’t help me/“

The hand on his back paused and Jaskier felt his heart tighten at the scent of guilt and pain that came from Geralt. “I’m sorry Jaskier. I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” Geralt rumbled, removing his hand and rocking backwards. Jaskier’s heart clenched because that was the exact opposite of how Geralt made him feel.

“It’s not your fault Geralt.” Jaskier unrolled himself from the feral rocking position he had been, wiping away the tears from his face. “You don’t make me uncomfortable.” Geralt hummed and Jaskier couldn’t help the small laugh that came from his throat. His Witcher, never one for words. “If anyone should be making anyone uncomfortable it’s me.” And a dark frown crossed Geralt’s face.

“You don’t.” And Jaskier laughed again, a hysterical edge to the laugh that had Geralt looking at him in worry.

“Of course I do Geralt.” Jaskier staggered to his feet, arms outside as he looked down at the alpha kneeling in front of him. He did a small circle, hand still grasping the collar in one while the other ran through his hair. “How can I not? I’m an unclaimed Omega. An Omega is bad enough. A scent to drive any alpha crazy with want and lust and need.” Jaskier laughed hysterically again. “Useless, pathetic. In need of protection all the fucking time. Everything I am is meant to make everyone around me uncomfortable. Nothing more than a fucking whore. Good for nothing but sex and breeding.” And Jaskier collapsed once more to his knees, hands wrapping around his head as he sobbed brokenly. “I don’t deserve you Geralt. You deserve so much better than me. Someone who isn’t so damaged. So broken.”

.....

Geralt felt his heart break more and more as Jaskier spoke. The bard was once more on his knees, hands clutching at a metal object in his hands. Wide blue eyes full of tears, red ringed from tears. Brown hair sticking at angles.

“Those words aren’t true.” Geralt said, wincing at the gruffness of his own voice. He shuffled closer to the sobbing Omega, hesitating for just a moment before placing his arms around Jaskier’s shoulders, drawing him close so Jaskier’s face settled at the crook of Geralt’s neck. Geralt sniffed deeply, the heady scent of buttercups and dandelions flowing over him.

“Then why would every fucking person I ever met as an Omega say them.” Jaskier sobbed, body shaking in Geralt’s grip. “My own Father. My own fucking Mother. They hate me for what I am. And why wouldn’t they. Useless. pathetic. Worthless.” Geralt growled low and deep in his throat, protective instincts kicking into overdrive. How dare anyone tell his Omega he was worthless.

“You are worth more to me than anything in the world.” Geralt grumbled, burying his nose in Jaskier’s hair. Jaskier’s sobbed deeply, tears dripping down Geralt’s neck where his face was buried. “I love you.”

“How can you love me, Geralt?” Jaskier lifted tear stained blue eyes to meet Geralt’s eyes, those bright blue orbs expressing every ounce of pain Jaskier was feeling. “You deserve so much better than me.” 

Geralt let out a soft chuckle, squeezing the back of Jaskier’s neck gently. “You’re the one who deserves better. You deserve better than a Witcher. You deserve to mate with an alpha who can give you children. Who can give you a safe and happy home.” Geralt sighed because it was the truth. His bard, however much Geralt loved him, did deserve better than a Witcher. “Not a Witcher playing at being King. You deserve stability and Witcher’s aren’t stable.” Geralt lowered his gaze to Jaskier’s hands, the metal object still clutched in them. “You deserved someone who isn’t a monster.”

A gentle hand on Geralt’s jaw, lifting it up to meet Jaskier’s face. To Geralt’s utter surprise Jaskier was smiling. A watery tears eyes smile but a smile none the less. “A right pair we make.” The Omega laughed. “A monster and an omega whore.”

“Not a whore.” Geralt grumbled in Jaskier’s throat as he buried himself in the scent of his omega.

“And you’re not a monster Geralt.” Jaskier replied, wrapping a hand to wrap in Geralt’s hair.

......

They stayed that way for quite some time. Geralt’s face buried in the crook of Jaskier’s neck. Jaskier face buried in Geralt’s white hair. Jaskier breathed deeply, feeling the swell of warmth and protection coming from the alpha. Wrapping Jaskier in a blanket of safety and love that he’d never experienced before.

Jaskier sighed once more before starting to disentangle from Geralt. The alpha growled low in his throat, grip tightening from where they were engulfing Jaskier’ in a hug. Jaskier petted Geralt’s shoulder softly. “We need to talk Geralt.” He murmured because Jaskier knew they couldn’t just leave it like that. Geralt deserved the whole truth before his alpha made any further declarations of love. As much as it pained Jaskier to tell Geralt what happened to him, he knew had to.

Geralt grunted once, before pulling off, arms still encircled around Jaskier’s waist. With a growl, Geralt lifted Jaskier bodily so Geralt was leaning against the oak and Jaskier was pressed against his solid chest. Jaskier felt some of the tension start to ease as he let himself fall into the embrace of the alpha.

Jaskier twirled the collar in his hands for a moment, a frown appearing on his face. “My Father put this on me when I presented.” Jaskier found himself say. It was strange. After all the crying and outbursts of emotions he felt a little flat now. Like he was talking about someone else. “Threw me to the ground in a room full of Alpha’s and Beta’s and collared me. He was snarling the whole time. My Mother wouldn’t even look at me. She cried. Not because of what my Father was doing but because I presented as an omega. She was ashamed.” Jaskier leant against Geralt’s chest, silent for a moment. “I didn’t really understand what was happening. I was a naive fool.” Geralt growled low in his throat.

“A child.” Geralt rumbled and Jaskier let out a low breathy chuckle.

“Yes, I suppose so. The scars on my back came that night. I’d been hit before, but never beaten. never like that.” Jaskier shivered, remembering the blinding hatred in his Father’s eyes as he’d brought the whip down on his own son. 

“I’ll kill him.” Geralt growled and Jaskier couldn’t help the chuckle that answered that. The sight of Geralt the White Wolf and Witcher. All 6 feet of overprotective alpha standing in front of his Father, Viscount de Lettenhove was an interesting image.

“For the most part after that people ignored me.” Jaskier continued. “There were sly comments. After all, an omega is rare let alone a male omega. A few alpha’s who felt brave tried there luck. Touches when I didn’t want them. The odd stolen kiss. But I could have lived with that.” At the time the groping hands of alpha’s had frightened the 14 year old Jaskier but looking back Jaskier realised they weren’t too bad. “All my old friends ignored me. My Mother barely uttered a word to me after I presented. The only words she said was to remind me how much of a disappointment I was.” Geralt growled again, the vibrations travelling into Jaskier’s back from his place pressed into Geralt’s chest.

“My first heat was terrifying.” Jaskier murmured. “No one explained to me what was happening. There was no one to explain. I was the only Omega at court.” Jaskier murmured. Alone in a castle full of alpha’s and beta’s. All hungry for a piece of the unclaimed Omega wandering in their midst. “When it was done my Father came to my room. Beat me to the point of unconsciousness. Called me a whore. A slut. The noises I’d made, the smell I’d given off. The mess I’d made.” Jaskier let off a broken noise as he remembered the punches and kicks his Father had delivered when he’d seen the feverish, sticky mess Jaskier had caused in his rooms.

“The next heat he came up with an alpha. I don’t remember who he was. Said if I was going to be a slut I might as well make myself useful.” Jaskier shivered, Geralt’s arms tightening in his grip. “Every heat after that was the same. I don’t really remember any of it. Too far gone in lust and need I suppose.” Jaskier let out a self-deprecated laugh, tears flowing down his eyes now. “All I really remember is the pain as I laid their helpless and let them do what they wanted to me.”

“It wasn’t your fault.” Geralt growled and Jaskier hummed. Deep down he knew that but after so many years of thinking one thing it was hard to accept.

“I got pregnant once.” Jaskier shivered, hand travelling to his belly with a staggered breath. Geralt stilled behind him. “I was 15. My 3rd heat.” Jaskier trembled, letting the tears run freely now. “I was terrified.”

“What happened to the child?” Geralt grumbled when Jaskier had remained silent for too long.

Jaskier took a staggering breath in, hand clenched painfully around the metal collar still in his hand. “My Father beat the baby out of me.” Geralt growled low and dangerous then. A noise that would have sent anyone running. But not Jaskier. All Jaskier felt was a warm comforting feeling as the alpha wrapped the omega in his embrace. 

“I ran away when I was 16. My Father tried to marry me off you see and I panicked. Bloody fool that I was I ran.” Jaskier shook his head, not believing how naive he had been even after everything that had happened. “I thought it would be better away from my home. My family. I was wrong. I was so fucking wrong.”

“I honestly can’t remember how many times I was raped those 2 months I spent out in the world as an unclaimed omega. Alpha’s fought over me. One would grab me on the road, started to grope me and the next thing I knew I’d be flung to the road as another alpha tried to grab me.” The tears ran unbid. “It’s a bloody miracle I wasn’t killed.” The 2 months spent out of Lettenhove were a blur of pain, self-hatred. Fear. But he had survived. Somehow.

“When my heat started coming over me I panicked. Ran as fast as I could. I knew I probably wouldn’t have survived that heat if an alpha had found me.” Jaskier shivered, leaning into Geralt’s touch as the alpha silently fumed behind him. “It was blind luck I stumbled into Brokilon forest. The Druids gave me something to suppress my Omega instincts. My Omega scent, my omega heat. It all stopped. I was free.” Jaskier sobbed, curling further into Geralt. “And now I’m not.”

“Yes you are.” Geralt growled angrily. His hands tightened around Jaskier’s waist, nose burying in Jaskier’s neck. “I...fuck...I’m no good with words.” The alpha growled and Jaskier reached a hand to gently cup Geralt’s face. Those amber eyes blazed with a fierce love that honestly scared Jaskier.

“It’s ok, just say what you’re thinking.” Jaskier smiled and Geralt nodded.

“You smell like a meadow. It’s fucking intoxicating.” Geralt growled and Jaskier’s face heated in shame. He went to move away but Geralt growled, wrapping Jaskier closer. “I don’t mean...fuck...I mean you smell like home. Like family. It’s intoxicating in a good way.” Jaskier’s heart beat faster in his chest at Geralt’s words. “You are the bravest strongest person I have ever met.” And no one had ever called Jaskier brave or strong before. Not the weak pathetic Omega. How could Geralt think that. “You survived the worst shit in the world. You are brave and strong. No one else could have survived it.” Geralt growled.

“I will kill anyone who touches you again because you are mine.” Geralt paused for a moment, hesitant. “If you will have me.”

Jaskier’s heart felt like it was in his mouth. “The druids told me their magic wore off because I was claimed.” And Geralt’s face dropped, arms loosening around his hold on Jaskier. And Jaskier chuckled, turning around so he was facing Geralt. The collar in his hands had dropped to the floor, forgotten. “Silly wolf.” Jaskier murmured, lips turning up to press a soft kiss to Geralt’s temple. “Not physically claimed. Not yet.” jaskier gulped, hoping he wasn’t overstepping the mark. “But in my heart I am. By you.”

Geralt blinked up at him in confusion. “You’re mine?” It came off as a question so Jaskier nodded.

“I am yours and you are mine.” Jaskier whispered. “If you’ll have me?” Jaskier turned Geralt’s previous question back on his alpha.

Geralt grunted, arms wrapping once more around Jaskier tightly, pulling Jaskier close to him into a deep kiss that left Jaskier breathless. “I’m sorry Geralt, I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Jaskier murmured against Geralt’s lips. He knew his leaving had hurt Geralt. But at the time he’d honestly thought it was the right thing to do. How fucking wrong he’d been. 

Geralt growled, kissing Jaskier deeply again. “You have nothing to apologise for.”

“And you don’t mind that I’m...”. Jaskier trailed off. Knowing Geralt would be able to fill in the blanks.

“No,”. Geralt growled, arms tightening once more around Jaskier. “I don’t care that you are an Omega. I don’t care that you were raped against your will. I care that you are the bravest and kindest person I have ever met.” Geralt kissed Jaskier. “I love you and will always love you. You are mine little lark.”

And Jaskier felt all the pain and fear from the last month evaporate as he settled into the arms of his alpha.


	5. Chapter 5

After his emotional confession in Brokilon Forest and ill advised thoughts to abandon Kaer Morhen and the family he had there, Jaskier honestly expected some sort of backlash. At the very least he didn’t expect life to continue as normal.

They’d arrived back at Kaer Morhen early morning, Geralt taking Jaskier back to his rooms where Jaskier had laid in peaceful contentment in the Witcher’s arms. Geralt’s face had been buried in Jaskier’s neck, sniffing deeply, arms encircled tightly around the omega’s waist as Jaskier laid against the alpha’s bare chest. Jaskier had felt safe. Safe and content. It was a new feeling for him.

When Jaskier and Geralt had entered the great hall that morning, Geralt had kept a firm grip on Jaskier’s waist, sitting the omega on his laugh. “Possessive.” Jaskier laughed, Geralt only growling in response, not moving hi grip from Jaskier.

Not a single Witcher had commented on the obvious display of affection, aside from the odd laugh and shouted encouragement which had Geralt humming pleased and Jaskier blushing a little in embarrassment. No one mentioned Jaskier’s disappearance and it slowly dawned on Jaskier that no one would have known about it unless Geralt or Yennefer said anything.

“Let go of him Geralt. I can’t have my lessons if you’re clinging to Jaskier like a leech.” Ciri announced once breakfast was over. Geralt hummed, making no effort to release the bard in his grip. Ciri rolled her eyes, glaring daggers at the alpha as Jaskier gently extricated him from the grip.

“She’s right Geralt. Neither of us will get anything done today if you won’t let go.” Jaskier grinned, placing a kiss on Geralt’s lips as Geralt finally let go.

As Ciri led the way to the rooms where her lessons were held, Jaskier felt a sudden weight of apprehension. He fully expected Ciri to say something about his disappearance. Something. But instead the young girl surprised him when she sat at the desk, fixing Jaskier with a small frown. “Are you and Geralt bonded now?” And that took Jaskier back a bit. “It’s just everyone’s noticed you’ve been acting differently. And Lambert said the bard had finally tamed the white wolf. Whatever that means.” Jaskier couldn’t help but chuckle at that.

“Not in the traditional sense.” Jaskier explained. While Jaskier knew he was as good as claimed by Geralt, he still wasn’t sure if he actually wanted to be claimed. The idea of being tied down was frightening. Almost as frightening as being an unclaimed omega with no alpha’s protection. That and Jaskier was still unsure about his place by Geralt’s side. Their talk in Brokilon Forest had gone a long way of easing the pain and hurt Jaskier had been carrying all these years but...the words of his Father still held reign in Jaskier’s head. He needed to learn not to believe those words before Jaskier could convince himself that he truly deserved his alpha. No matter what Geralt might say.

Ciri shrugged. “Well you have my blessing.” Ciri announced, faltering Jaskier again. “You’re perfect together. It’s a bit sickening really.” She said, pointing her nose to the ceiling in such a perfect imitation of Yennefer it was like the sorceress was in the room.

And there was something else Jaskier needed to sort out. Yennefer had sent him such an angry hurt glare when he’d returned from the clearing with Geralt at his side that it had taken him aback. She hadn’t said a word to any of them, preferring to glare daggers at the shrubbery as she and Triss created the portal back to Kaer Morhen. Jaskier hadn’t seen her since.

.......

“So you and the bard.” Lambert grunted in welcome as Geralt walked onto the training grounds of Kaer Morhen. Geralt ignored him as Eskel leant on the wall on the other side of Geralt. “You claim him yet.” Geralt growled low in his throat.

“Jaskier isn’t a thing to be claimed.” Geralt growled.

“Couldn’t agree more.” Lambert continued, ignoring the growl. “But you’re all over each other. Fucking hell, I thought you were going to go at each other like fucking rabbits over breakfast.” Eskel snorted on a laugh at that. 

Geralt ignored the two Witcher;s, instead turning to watch the training grounds. In all honesty, he didn’t want to make the assumption that Jaskier wanted to be claimed. Geralt knew Jaskier was his. Their conversation in Brokilon had left no doubt in Geralt’s mind how the omega felt for him. The problem was what Jaskier had said about being free. Being in love was completely different to Geralt actually claiming Jaskier. Claiming the omega meant the jaskier would be his. He would never be able to leave, not that Geralt ever thought Jaskier would. Kaer Morhen was the bard’s home as much as the Witcher’s. But if Geralt did claim him. Jaskier wouldn’t have a choice about leaving. He would lose his freedom all over again. And as much as Geralt loved Jaskier, he refused to let that happen.

There was also the small problem that Geralt was a Witcher. Geralt didn’t even know if Witcher’s could bond. They all had alpha instincts, kicked into overdrive upon the realisation that Jaskier was an omega. But having the instincts of an alpha and being able to do the things human alpha’s could do where very different things. Like procreation. Geralt could never give Jaskier a child. Whether the bard wanted a child or not was irrelevant. Because if Geralt claimed him he would be taking the omega’s choice from him. 

Geralt hummed as two Witcher’s exchanged blows of a sword with clanging force. As much as he wanted to bond with Jaskier, he wouldn’t. Not unless Jaskier asked him to. And if he never did then Geralt was more than happy to know Jaskier was his. He didn’t need a mark to prove that.

......

“Yennefer.” Yennefer cursed silently as Jaskier appeared in the doorway of the room she used to teach Ciri about her chaos. He looked flushed as if he’d run here. Yennefer fixed the bard with the harshest glare she could muster, aware her violet eyes must be spinning as she showed her anger at displeasure to the omega. To Jaskier’s credit he only flinched a little.

“Move.” Yennefer commanded as she went to the exit where Jaskier was standing blocking the exit. Jaskier met her eyes, his own blue ones showing trepidation of getting in the mages way but determination.

“Triss said I could find you here.” Jaskier stated, not moving an inch even as Yennefer continued to glare at him. And Yennefer sighed, spinning on her heel and moving back to take a seat on the small table sitting at the centre of the room, knowing Jaskier would follow her. It had been a week since Brokilon Forest and Yennefer had done a remarkable job of avoiding Jaskier since then.

“What.” Yennefer put as much venom in her voice as possible, causing Jaskier to flinch. And that made her feel guilty. Her. When he was the one that should be feeling guilty. She levelled a glare at Jaskier, not letting any emotion betray her.

“I’m sorry Yenn.” Jaskier started. Yennefer made no move to even show she;d heard him, violet eyes turning to flick through a book she’d left on the table. She didn’t pay attention to the words as Jaskier nervously shuffled on the chair opposite her. “I shouldn’t have just left.”

“No, you should have.” Yennefer snarled, slamming the book on the table. Jaskier was a tall man, taller than any omega she had ever met, but at her words he seemed to shrink into himself a little. Guilt flashed across his face and Yennefer was glad. He deserve to feel guilty he was going to leave them.

“I didn’t mean to hurt anyone.” Jaskier continued.

“What would you think was going to happen, leaving.” Yennefer asked, anger clear in her tone now. She hated that the little lark had dug his way deep enough into her heart for her to care if he left.

“I know. It was stupid and I’m sorry. At the time I honestly thought it was for the best. For all of you. I was wrong. And I am so so sorry.” Jaskier said, blue eyes searching her’s for forgiveness. And damn if Yennefer couldn’t forgive him. He looked so damned pathetic like that. 

Yennefer kept her glare trained on him, searching the surface thoughts in his mind. And he was sorry, Jaskier hadn’t meant to hurt any of them. A frown came onto her face as she saw a flash of pain in the bard’s mind. Jaskier had never wanted to leave them, he had left because he thought it was the best thing for them. It didn’t matter that Jaskier had felt like his heart was breaking the second he decided to leave. It was why he’d gone to Triss and not her. Because he wouldn’t have been able to go through with it if he’d asked Yennefer to take him. Because Yennefer would have been able to talk him out of it.

“Silly bird.” Yennefer took Jaskier’s hand, squeezing lightly and the smile that broke across the bard’s face had her rolling her eyes even as her heart lifted. Damn the bard for getting so for under her skin that a smile would make her happy. “Ever think about leaving again and I will curse you into a footstool for the end of my bed.” Jaskier laughed fully at that and Yennefer found herself laughing as well.

As they sat and talked like they hadn’t for weeks, Yennefer felt the weight she hadn’t realised she’d been carrying lift. As they talked, Yennefer thought that if they ever lost Jaskier they would all be lost. He had managed to bring happiness and light to Kaer Morhen. And it had made everything so much better.

......

Jaskier woke to a loud knocking on the doorframe. He groaned, burying his face further into Geralt;s chest. Geralt grumbled, the sound vibrating through his bare chest, placing a soft kiss to Jaskier’s head. “It’s too early for visitors.” Jaskier groaned, blinking sleep filled eyes up at Geralt. Geralt’s amber eyes filled with mirth.

“You just don’t like mornings.” Geralt chuckled, causing Jaskier to let out an undignified huff.

“I don’t mind mornings but it’s not even dawn yet.” The knock came louder and Jaskier flopped back onto the pillows. He’d never get back to sleep now.

“Come in.” Geralt grumbled, sitting up in the bed and carding a hand through Jaskier’s hair. The omega preened under the touch, snuggling into Geralt’s side as Vesemir entered the room. The minute Geralt saw his old mentor he stopped his casual touching of Jaskier. 

“What’s wrong?” Geralt growled, making Jaskier sit up as well, turning to face Vesemir.

“Council room, now.” Vesemir just growled back. He took one look at Jaskier before turning out of the room and leaving.

“Geralt, what’s wrong?” Jaskier asked, aware of the panic in his voice as Geralt jumped out of the bed, pulling on trousers. Jaskier found himself following. He wasn’t a member of the white wolf’s council but the worry coming from Geralt worried him. 

The pace of Geralt’s stride down the hallway had Jaskier nearly running to catch up. He’d barely had time to throw on a chemise before Gerlat had exited the room, not a backward glance at Jaskier. 

As the two entered the council room, Jaskier saw that they were the last to arrive. No one batted an eyelid as Jaskier stood hesitantly by the doorway. Yennefer lifted an eyebrow at him but said nothing, turning the face Vesemir instead. Even though it was the middle of the night, the sorceress was as always impeccably dressed. A far cry from Geralt and Eskel, who hadn’t even bothered with a shirt. Vesemir was dressed like he had been at dinner the night before and Jaskier distantly wondered if the old wolf had bothered going to bed yet.

“What happened?” Eskel asked.

“There was another skirmish at one of the borders last night.” Vesemir stated, pulling out a map and placing it on the table. Jaskier followed the others to glance at the map of the continent. “At the point that our border meets Redania.” Vesemir pointed to an area of the map Jaskier was familiar with. It was the area that the Witcher;s had taken when they had been forced into action against Redania. When King vizimir had thought it was a good idea to test the Witcher’s might and tried to take part of Kaedwen from them, the Witcher’s had responded in kind. By taking half of King Visimirs own country.

“You called us out of bed for a border skirmish.” Geralt growled, amber eyes turning to Vesemir.

“There’s been more than 1?” Jaskier found himself asking. The minute all eyes turned to him he felt himself flinch a little. He wasn’t part of the white wolfs council. He shouldn’t be in this room let alone talking.

“18, all in the last 2 months.” Eskel replied and Jaskier would have been shocked that his question had been answered if his mind wasn’t running over the information. While his upbringing had been less than pleasant it had given Jaskier the perfect opportunity to become familiar with Redania’s military operation. After all his own Father was a chief member of King Vizimir's council. Jaskier had sat at too many dinners to count, listening to political talk. None of the nobles had batted an eyelid at discussing private matters in front of an omega after all. As far as they were concerned omega’s would never understand what they were even discussing, let alone be bright enough to repeat it to anyone else.

“All targeted at towns that you wouldn’t even notice you were missing?” Jaskier asked, ignoring the eyes on him as he thought back to his Father’s own opinions on war.

“And all conceded to the enemy.” Yennefer finished, violet eyes spinning as she followed the same train of thought Jaskier was.

“Then you have a problem.” Jaskier stated, voice flat. “One of the Redania strategies for attacking an enemy larger than itself is to attack places that you don’t think are a problem.”

“Why aren’t they a problem, they’re small towns. Barely 300 people living in each one.” Eskel continued. Geralt was giving Jaskier a strange look but the bard ignored it.

“One town, maybe 2, that’s an annoyance.” Jaskier said, turning his gaze to Eskel. “18, that’s an outright attack. Where are the towns?”

Vesemir pointed them out on the map and Jaskier frowned. “They’re taking up defensive positions on your borders.”

Vesemir frowned over the map, before turning to look at Jaskier with a surprised glance. “You’re right.” Geralt leant towards, amber eyes fierce as he looked at the map.

“Fuck.” Geralt growled. 

Jaskier took a step back from the table so Eskel and Geralt could stand around it with Vesemir. Yennefer was gazing at him with a confused look on her face. “They’re making themselves a stronghold on our borders.” Eskel stated. “They’re getting ready for an attack.”

The 3 Witcher’s looked at each other, amber eyes glowing. Jaskier felt his heart clench painfully. If Redania where attacking the Witcher’s lands then that would mean the Witcher’s would have to respond. Geralt would have to.

“How did you see that?” Eskel said, turning from where he was looking at the table, giving Jaskier an impressed look. “I wouldn’t have gotten that in a million years.”

“None of us would have.” Vesemir continued, a frown on his face.

“I grew up in Redania.” Jaskier said evasively. Yennefer’s eyes narrowed at that.

“You wouldn’t know that if you were just anyone.” Yennefer stated and Jaskier ducked his head. He hadn’t been Julian Alfred Pankratz for years and he had no intentions of going back to being him. Yennefer’s eyes softened, a hint of knowing appearing in her violet eyes. “You’re the son of a Redanian noble.” Jaskier nodded his head a little in shame. He never wanted to be thought of as his families son after everything they had done. Never again.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Eskel asked, a slight hint of anger in his tone. Jaskier jumped a little when Geralt’s hand appeared on his shoulder protectively. 

“It doesn’t matter.” Geralt growled and a guilty look flashed across Eskel’s face.

“You’re right. I’m sorry Jaskier.” Eskel said, amber eyes meeting Jaskier’s who nodded in response.

“How sure are you about this?” Vesemir asked, steering the conversation away from Jaskier’s birth family.

“Absolutely.” Jaskier said, grimacing slightly at the memory of his Father joyfully telling the King’s council of his battle plans. One of council members had had Jaskier sitting on his lap as the nobles drunkenly discussed politics.

“I’ll get the Witcher’s ready.” Eskel announced, leaving the room briskly followed by Yennefer muttering something about getting Triss.

Geralt pulled Jaskier aside, bending his head so their foreheads touched. Jaskier closed his eyes, breathing in the heady spicy scent that was all Geralt. “Can you tell Ciri?’ Geralt murmured, amber eyes bright in the firelight of the room. “I don’t want her to find out second hand and I need to speak to Vesemir.” Jaskier nodded, placing a kiss to the Witcher’s cheek. As he left the the council room, Jaskier saw Geralt give him a fond look before the door closed behind him.

.....

“The little larks full of surprises.” Vesemir stated as Geralt listened to Jaskier’s soft footsteps head off in the direction of Ciri’s rooms. Geralt hummed, eyes turning back to his old mentor. “Don’t take Eskel’s words the wrong way, he was as surprised as the rest of us to find out you omega’s a nobleman.” Geralt frowned at that.

He hadn’t expected Jaskier to say he was a nobleman. But then, it did explain a few things. Jaskier obviously had a good education, he was helping Yennefer teach Ciri court manners and the elder speech. Two things Geralt was sure that Jaskier hadn’t learnt in Oxenfurt. And Jaskier enjoyed the finer things, expensive wines, clothing. That and Jaskier had said he had been the only omega in court during his confession in Brokilon Forest. Geralt’s frown deepened as he remembered Jaskier’s tears eyed confession of his past, anger coursing through him. Yes, now Geralt thought about it it wasn’t really that surprising Jaskier was born a noble.

“We need a plan.” Vesemir pulled Geralt’s thoughts back to the room. The alpha pushed all thoughts of Jaskier from his mind, turning back to the problem at hand. If only for the time being.

......

Kaer Morhen was a hive of activity as Jaskier and Ciri came down that morning. Jaskier had gone to Ciri’s room to tell her what was happening and it had taken all the effort he had to stop the cub from flying down to confront Geralt. She was terrified, shouting that it wasn’t fair that Geralt was going to war. Jaskier agreed but he knew he couldn’t let it show. instead he’d wrapped Ciri into a tight hug, singing soft lullaby’s until the sun appeared through he room. Only then did Jaskier let Ciri drag him down the stairs to find Geralt.

They found Geralt standing in the training grounds of Kaer Morhen, surrounded by over 100 Witcher’s. Jaskier eyes roamed over the face, surprised to see faces he knew had been out on the path for months. Triss was standing next to Yennefer, bothlooking a little worse for wear. When Jaskier’s gaze turned to Triss she grinned brightly though. They must have spent the night portalling the Witcher’s back to Kaer Morhen.

Jaskier’s eyes found Geralt in the crowd, moving around the Witcher’s with Eskel and lambert at his side. Jaskier’s heart leapt to his throat when he saw his Witcher. Geralt’s white hair was tied back with a headband, a glare fixed on his face, amber eyes burning. All the Witcher’s had the armour on, weapons strapped to every part of their body. They were a terrifying sight to behold.

Ciri’s hand tightened on Jaskier’s. When Jaskier dropped his gaze to her he saw the fear on her face that made her look so much younger than her 12 years. Jaskier bent down so he was Ciri’s height, giving her an easy smile. She didn’t comment that the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “It’ll all be ok cub. Brave face.” Jaskier whispered softly, even though he knew most of the Witcher’s would still be able to hear his words if they were paying attention. Ciri closed her eyes for a moment before nodding, eyes taking on a determined look. Jaskier sent her a proud smile, squeezing tightly to her hand as Geralt, Yennefer, Triss, Eskel, Lambert and Vesemir walked up to where Jaskier and Ciri were standing.

“I’ll be staying to assist in keeping running Kaer Morhen.” Vesemir stated. Geralt grunted, giving Jaskier a soft grin as he walked up to Ciri. Ciri let go of Jaskier’s hand immediately, flinging herself into Geralt’s arms. Geralt chuckled, holding her close.

“15 Witcher’s will be staying behind.” Eskel continued.

“Should be more than enough if there’s trouble.” Lambert grinned. 

“We’ll be alright.” Jaskier replied automatically. It was the Witcher’s going to Redania he was worried about. A bit prematurely he will admit. After all a human army didn’t really stand much chance against the Witcher;s, not unless they had at least 100 times more fighters than they had had the last time Jaskier had been in his Father’s home. Somehow Jaskier doubted that.

“Course you will.” Lambert grinned. 

“Geralt’s leaving you in charge after all.” Eskel grinned and Jaskier faltered for a second. He met Geralt’s eyes as if expecting a joke. Geralt just smiled softly, still entangled in a hug with Ciri.

“You’ll do brilliant, lark.” Lambert grinned, thumping Jaskier on the back as he and Eskel walked back down to the Witcher’s.

“Triss, let’s go and get the portal’s ready.” Yennefer stated. As she and Triss started to walk back towards the awaiting Witcher army, Yennefer turned back to face Jaskier. “Look after Ciri.” Her violet eyes pinned Jaskier with a forceful look.

“I will.” Yennefer seemed to consider Jaskier’s answer before nodding. Before she could turn around again Ciri jumped from Geralt’s hold, almost tackling Yennefer with the force of her hug. Yennefer’s face melted into a smile as she hugged Ciri tightly.

Jaskier turned his eyes from the farewell, meeting Gerlat’s soft amber eyes. Geralt hummed, wrapping his arms around Jaskier and holding him close. Jaskier buried his nose into Geralt’s shoulder, breathing deeply. “You’re sure you want to leave me in charge.” Geralt hummed, nose buried in Jaskier’s hair.

“Positive. You’ll have Vesemir to help but you’ve got more of a mind for politics than anyone else here. You’ll be able to keep the peace in Kaedwen while we manage Redania.” Jaskier nodded, warmth running through his chest at the trust in Geralt’s voice. “Mostly paperwork anyway and the old wolf hates that shit.” Geralt turned his amber eyes to look at Jaskier, seriousness crossing over them. “You don’t mind.” 

Jaskier kissed Geralt gently on the lips, chuckling as Geralt pulled him closer. “If you trust me enough to do this then I’ll be fine.” Jaskier trailed a finger down Geralt’s face. “Just promise me you’ll be ok.” Geralt hummed in answer, pulling Jaskier back down for a kiss.

“Hey, lovebirds, if we don’t get a fucking move on the war will be over before we even get there.” Lambert shouted. Geralt growled, kissing Jaskier once more before turning to leave.

Ciri jumped to give Geralt one last hug before the Witcher’s started to file into the portals being held open by Yennefer and Triss. Jaskier stood with Vesemir and Ciri on either side, heart clenching in worry as he watched Geralt walk through the portal.

With one last look over his shoulder, Geralt was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the reviews. I apologise for the confusion with naming the Druid who helped Jaskier Visenna. I hadn’t realised this was the name of Geralt’s Mother (I’m still reading through the books and haven’t got that far yet). I just found the name on google and thought it fit.


	6. Chapter 6

Life in Kaer Morhen was quiet with all but a handful of Witcher’s remaining. It was too quiet. The evening the Witcher’s had left for Redania, Jaskier looked over the Witcher’s sitting in the hall. They were all separated out in their usual seats with the Witcher schools. 2 or 3 Witcher’s at each table making the whole place look entirely to big.

Ciri, Jaskier’s silent shadow all day, was clinging to Jaskier’s side. The usually energetic girl had been nearly silent all day. She’d spent most of the day pretending to read as Vesemir and Jaskier sat in the White Wolfs council room going over that day’s letters. Geralt had been right, being in charge really was just bloody paperwork. Jaskier had winced at the state of the Witcher’s filing systems for important correspondence, wincing again at what they actually thought was important and what wasn’t. Jaskier had made a mental note to go through everything in the room and re-organise it into something that would at least half resemble some sort of order.

Vesemir went to sit at his usual space at the White Wolf’s table at the top of the Great hall. He;d had a wearied look on his face all day and Jaskier’s heart had gone out to the old Witcher. Vesemir was very obviously worried about the ones that had gone. They all we’re.

Looking around once more, Jaskier walked away from his usual seat, Ciri following silently, and sat next to the Viper School Witcher’s who had remained behind (Letho and Jad if Jaskier’s memory was correct). They frowned as Jaskier sat down, motioning for the other Witcher’s to join them.

Eventually all 15 Witcher’s, Vesemir and Ciri were seated on the Cat School table. They were all silent for a moment before Ciri announced “”Well, I’m famished.” And began to dig into the food with earnest. Jaskier sighed quietly in relief as the grin that had been missing from Ciri’s face all day appeared on her face. Upon Ciri’s words, a spell seemed to have broken and all the Witcher’s started to talk and shout in earnest.

As Jaskier laughed along with the others, he wondered if they were trying to make up for the missing noise of the other Witcher’s. As Letho thumped Jaskier fondly on the back after the meal finished, shouting for the bard to sing, Jaskier found the weight that had been sitting heavily on his chest all day lift.

......

“You did good.” Vesemir grunted when Jaskier walked into the council room the next day. Jaskier sent the older Witcher a surprised look.

“Thank you.” Jaskier replied, gaining a warm smile from Vesemir. 

“Where’s Ciri?”

“Training.” Jaskier replied. 2 Griffin Witcher’s had commandeered Ciri after breakfast announcing the cub still needed to practice her weapons even though Geralt was away. Jaskier had been grateful when Ciri had gone with no fuss. She needed a distraction from missing Geralt and Yennefer.

Jaskier took a stack of paper’s from one of the corners of the office. When Vesemir looked at him in confusion Jaskier offered the old wolf a smile, “Thought I’d try and get on top of all this before they get back.” Vesemir grunted in agreement. Jaskier expected Vesemir to disappear or go about something else so when the old wolf took a seat next to Jaskier he was a little surprised.

They worked quietly for a few hours, Vesemir offering explanations of who the people writing these letters were in relation to the White Wolf’s lands and Jaskier offering ways that the Witcher’s could benefit from their negotiations with each noble.

Jaskier frowned over one of the letters, a Baron demanding that Geralt deal with elves running riot on his lands. “They were taken from him when his men started to hunt elves for sport.” Vesemir grunted. “They were stealing from his lands.” Jaskier knew that in the lands of the White wolf elves, dwarves and anyone else who was seen as an outcast was given a home. Was never discriminated against. Anywhere else and the elves would have been hunted and killed but to do so here was to incur the wrath of the Witcher’s of Kaer Morhen.

“It might be worth offering him some sort of pay out. He’s less likely to see it as thievery if he’s getting compensated for it.” Vesemir hummed in agreement, in much the same way that Geralt would have. Jaskier felt his heart tighten a little at the reminder of his alpha. He missed him. “And someone should speak to the elves. They have their own lands now. They shouldn’t need to steal to survive.”

Vesemir nodded in agreement, watching as Jaskier wrote this onto the paper. When he was done, Jaskier lifted his head to meet Vesemir’s amber eyes. The old wolf was frowning slightly. “You’re good at this.” Jaskier shrugged.

“Well, you do pick up quite a bit as a traveling bard. It’s always good to know what will please one lord and displease another.” Jaskier grinned. His years travelling before he’d ran into the Witcher’s, Jaskier had spent time in more noble houses than he could count. Granted, the reasons behind those visits had were equal parts due to his bardic talents as jumping into the beds of married nobles. 

Vesemir hummed. “You’ve a sharp mind for it. Better than us Witcher’s.”

“Witcher’s aren’t made for politics.” Jaskier replied, earning a laugh from Vesemir.

“Something we will be forever thankful for. If not for Yennefer we’d have failed at this ruling long ago.” It was Jaskier’s turn to laugh now. He could just imagine Yennefer’s face as she tried to teach a room full of Witcher’s the delicate art of politics.

“Well, I’m glad to help where I can.” And Jaskier found he was. For the first time in his whole life he didn’t feel useless. He felt like he was helping. And wasn’t that a heady sensation. 

........

“Fucking idiots.” Lambert grunted. Geralt hummed in agreement, surveying the finished battle. Redanian’s forces had retreated further into their own lands, having lost the small towns they had taken before the Witcher’s arrived. “Who the fuck’s in charge of their battle plans. It’s shit. Wouldn’t even keep out a fucking donkey.” Lambert laughed. Geralt hummed again.

They had arrived at the edges of the Witcher’s lands to find numerous Redanian forces scattered in the taken towns. The Cat Witcher’s Geralt had sent to survey the area had reported back each of the 18 strongholds was held by 50 men. As Geralt walked away from Lambert, who was now cheering the Witcher’s victory with a group of Griffin Witcher’s, he couldn’t help but agree with Lambert. The Redanian’s would have been better off putting all their forces in one place. Even Witcher’s would have had difficulty facing the full force of Redania’s army. Instead they’d split themselves too thin. It had been laughably easy to take back the land they had stolen.

3 long weeks later, and Redania had retreated back behind their own borders. It would have taken half that time but Eskel had convinced Geralt that they shouldn’t separate their own armies like Redania had. A damned good thing as well, Geralt thought, a week into their campaign and they’d been attacked in the rear by a group of Redanian’s who’d been sent to help the struggling Redania force they’d attacked. 

Geralt had to admit the men fought bravely. But they hadn’t really stood a chance. With the added help the Witcher’s had been outnumbered by nearly 100. It might have been a problem for a human army but considering each Witcher could easily take down at least 3 well trained men at a time, well. Redania hadn’t really stood a chance.

As Geralt closed the entrance to his tent behind the noises of the celebrating Witcher’s behind him, he closed his eyes sighed. He missed Kaer Morhen. or more accurately he missed his family. Ciri and Jaskier. The battle place was o place for either of them. Ciri was just a child and while she was coming on in leaps and bounds in her training, if Geralt had it his way he would never allow her to see the horror’s of battle. And Jaskier, well the omega wasn’t exactly a fighter. The Witcher’s had tried to teach Jaskier a few defensive moves over the 2 years he’d been in Kaer Morhen, all with varying degrees of failure. The bard was not suited for fighting. “Why can’t people just talk, Geralt.” He’d bemoaned to the white haired Witcher after one particular day training with the Witcher’s which had ended with the bard covered head to toe in mud. “Fighting is just so barbaric.” Geralt felt the tugging of a smile as he thought about that.

“Thinking of our little lark?” Yennefer’s voice broke through Geralt;s thought. Geralt said nothing, focusing instead on removing his armour. He needed a bath, the mud and blood from the battlefield clinging to him. “Triss is helping the wounded.” Yennefer continued. She had obviously cleaned herself from the battle as their wasn’t a speck of dirt or blood on her. The only evidence that the mage had even stepped foot on the battlefield was the exhausted look in her violet eyes. Funny considering Yennefer had been key in the Witcher’s offensive moves.

How many?” Geralt grunted.

“About a dozen Witcher’s, mostly superficial. At least for Witcher’s.” Yennefer noted. “The worst should be healed in a few days.” Geralt grunted in acknowledgement. Another advantage of having Witcher’s in an army. They were bloody hard to kill. “No casualties on our side. Triss is helping the injured Redanian’s as well.” Geralt nodded in thanks. When the Redanian army had retreated they’d abandoned a good number of wounded on the battlefield. Upon seeing their comrades running, those men who had been stuck surrendered instantly. 

“When Triss says’ their ready to leave send them back over the border.” Geralt grunted, Yennefer nodding in agreement. Any other King, Geralt knew, would have killed their captures. Or in Nilfgaard’s case probably put them to work in some form or the other. Geralt though understood that those men weren’t responsible for the order’s of their King. They didn’t deserve to die for doing their duty so Geralt was more than happy to let the lave in peace. As long as they didn’t try anything between then and now.

“When can we leave?” Geralt grunted.

“We should have everything back in order by the end of the week.” And that lifted Geralt’s spirits in a way that nothing else could. He would be back with his mate and cub soon. “There’s something else we need to discuss Geralt.” Geralt growled at Yennefer’s words. “We can’t let this go unanswered.” Yennefer continued, unperturbed by Geralt’s annoyance with the subject of politics. “If we do then King Vizimir will think he can do this again.” And geralt knew she was right. As much as he hated to admit it.

“I need to speak to Vesemir and Eskel before we do anything else.” Geralt grunted, the other Witcher;s may not like politics any more than Geralt but they had a better understanding of how to keep the peace. partly, as Eskel always added because Geralt’s idea of diplomacy was to grunt at people. Not exactly what anyone wanted to hear when they were discussing peace terms. “Will they accept peace?”

Yennefer nodded. “Their sorcerer sent word that King Vizimir surrenders and would like to discuss terms for a new agreement with the White Wolf.” Geralt hummed. The Redania King was only doing it so Geralt didn’t go an conquer the rest of Redania. “We’ll go back to Kaer Morhen first.” Yennefer continued to Geralt’s surprise. He had expected Yennefer to demean they go to meet King Vizimir now. “I want to talk to Jaskier before we do anything.” 

And that had Geralt frowning but before Yennefer elaborated on anything she had turned heel and left Geralt standing there. 

...........

Ciri bounced in excitement as she stood between Jaskier and Vesemir, awaiting the return of the Witcher’s. Jaskier and Vesemir had had word from Yennefer that they were returning that morning, a little over 3 weeks since leaving. Ciri had squealed with excitement when Jaskier had told her, making the bard laugh loudly.

She’d grown closer to Jaskier the last few weeks. They’d always been close, Jaskier taught her everything that the Witcher’s and Yennefer and Triss didn’t after all. She spent at least 4 mornings every week with him not to mention she saw him every day at breakfast and dinner. She liked Jaskier, he was funny and kind, always making her laugh with songs he made up. But the last week he’d played a part in her life Ciri hadn’t even realised she’d been missing.

Her parents had died when she was very young, Pavetta and Dunn perishing on a ship on the way back from the isles of Skellige. Ciri had for the most part been raised by her Grandmother, Calanthe, the Lioness of Cintra. Until she turned 7 and Nilfgaard had attacked Cintra. They’d attacked the city, killing her Grandmother and Grandfather. Ciri had barely escaped with her life.

The only reason she had was because of Geralt. She hadn’t known at the time but the white haired Witcher had claimed the law of surprise when he saved her Father, Duny’s, life. Calanthe had been furious. Ciri always thought that explained why Calanthe was had refused the help the Witcher’s offered when Geralt and a group of Witcher’s appeared in Cintra warning them of Nilfgaard approaching on their borders. Calanthe had refused the Witcher’s help, leading the Cintran army to battle herself. Exist, Ciri’s Grandfather, died on the battlefield, Calanthe barely getting back to Cintra with the remains of her army alive.

And then, to Geralt and certainly Ciri’s surprise, Calanthe had demanded that Geralt honour the law of surprise and take her Granddaughter to safety. Geralt had done that. And so much more. He’d brought the Witcher’s to Cintra’s aide, pushing back Nilfgaard before they could take the city. “Your Grandmother was a good woman. She deserved our help.” Geralt had grumbled when Ciri had asked why Geralt had helped her Grandmother, who held such obvious dislike for the Witcher’s. “She doesn’t hate us because of what we are, rather because of who I am to you. She just wanted to protect you.” Even now, thinking of her late Grandmother caused Ciri’s heart to ache.

The Witcher’s had stopped Cintra from being taken, saved Cintra’s people. But Calanthe had died of her wounds anyway. Mousesack, a Druid in the service of Cintra’s royal family, had tried to save his Queen. But her injuries to great. Ciri had been distraught. As Calanthe’s only heir, Ciri was by default the Queen of Cintra. Except she was barely 7 years old. So Geralt and Mouseack had agreed the best thing for Ciri was to go to Kaer Morhen. “She’ll be safest there. Until she’s old enough to take her rightful place as Queen of Cintra. And she is your destiny, Geralt.” Mousesack himself had agreed to stay in Cintra and ensure Ciri’s birthright remained entact until the Princess was old enough to return as Queen. Until then, the Witcher’s extended their protection to Cintra and it’s people.

Ciri hadn’t understood what Mouseack meant by destiny, still didn’t if she was honest. But she knew how she felt for Geralt and knew how Geralt felt about her. He was like her Father. Was her Father, if Ciri was honest with herself. She had barely known her own Father and it was Geralt who had raised her. Geralt, the Witcher’s of Kaer Morhen and Yennefer. And Ciri loved Yennefer as much as Geralt, like she loved her late Mother and Grandmother. Between the two fo them, Triss and the Witcher’s of Kaer Morhen Ciri had grown into what she thought was someone her Grandmother would be proud of. She was strong, capable, clever, powerful.

But the one thing Ciri hadn’t realised she was missing was affection. The Witcher’s weren’t exactly the most sensitive group of people. Geralt tried, he would listen to anything Ciri wanted to say but Ciri knew certain subjects made him uncomfortable. And Triss and Yennefer were excellent at being their for Ciri as well. Triss had been the one to suggest Ciri’s silent code when she bled for the first time. If Ciri came down in a dress then the Witcher’s knew that training was off for that day. Yennefer didn’t often offer hugs but when she did they were always quick as if Yennefer was afraid if she held Ciri too long the girl would disappear. Triss was more warm and giving with her hugs but they were like the hugs of a friend.

These last 3 weeks however, Jaskier had offered more affection to Ciri than she had received in all her years. Even when Calanthe was alive, the Lioness of Cintra rarely offered physical comforts. Preferring instead to turn every hurt into a lesson. Not that Ciri didn’t mind that. They were practical and her Grandmother always glowed so obviously proud when Ciri learnt from her failures. 

Jaskier would offer hugs freely. He didn’t seem to need a reason to hug Ciri. And they were warm, loving hugs that filled Ciri’s scent with wildflowers and meadows and made her feel safe. The night that Geralt, Yennefer and the Witcher’s had left for battle, Jaskier had put Ciri to bed himself. When she’d admitted she was afraid to sleep, worried that if she slept she might wake to find Geralt or Yennefer, or Triss, or Lambert, or Eskel or any of the other Witcher’s had died.

“It’s silly.” Ciri mumbled, hiding her head under the covers as tears ran down her cheeks. She may have only been a child when Nilfgaard attacked Cintra but she still remembered the fire and the screams. She still remembered her Grandmother’s bloody torso when Calanthe had told Geralt to take Ciri to safety.

“It’s not silly.” Jaskier had said, pushing the blanket away from Ciri’s tear stained face. His blue eyes had been open and kind as he opened his arms in invitation. Ciri had instantly buried her face into his neck crying messily as he rocked her gently back and forwards as if she was a much smaller child. “I’m scared to.” Jaskier admitted. “But nothing will happen to our Witcher’s, or Triss or Yennefer. I’m positive they will come back safe and sound.” Ciri noted that Jaskier didn’t promise anything but she knew he couldn’t war was a messy thing. But he had seemed so sure that Ciri found herself believing him. They would all be safe. Geralt and Yennefer would be safe.

“I don’t think I can sleep tonight.” Ciri muttered. She was embarrassed to admit she still had nightmares of Nilfgaard’s attack on Cintra and even more embarrassed to admit that she knew they would come tonight and there was nothing she could do about it.

“I can stay if you like?” Jaskier had said, voice hesitant. And Ciri had found herself nodding.

Jaskier had settled himself into the large armchair in Ciri’s rooms and every time Ciri had woken that night from the fire and screams in her nightmares he’d been their. No judgement, just offering comfort. He sang a gentle song each time Ciri woke screaming in fear, until Ciri found herself drifting off to sleep again.

They’d repeated this cycle most nights since the Witcher’s absence. The first few times were because Ciri was afraid to sleep but she found as the days passed by it was more because she wanted to company. She wanted the physical comfort and affection that the omega gave her so willingly. And they were both the better for it.

......

Geralt was the last to exit the portal before Yennefer and Triss closed them behind the Witcher’s. Jaskier felt his heart lift in relief as the White Wolf walked straight up the path towards those that had been left behind in Kaer Morhen.

Ciri was in the middle of hugging Lambert when she saw Geralt and all but flung herself at him. Jaskier laughed as Geralt picked her up, circling the girl in a tight hug. Ciri had missed Geralt and jaskier was beyond relieved to see her laughing and happy again. “Jaskier.” Yennefer said dryly as she walked up to Jaskier with Triss at her side. Triss hugged Jaskier fiercely, brown hair getting into Jaskier’s face as he smiled and returned the hug.

“Yennefer.” Jaskier returned, offering the tired looking sorceress a smile which Yennefer returned. Triss had turned and was pulling Vesemir into a hug now as well. Jaskier was watching the display so jumped when hands wrapped tightly around his waist.

Geralt placed his nose on Jaskier’s neck, sniffing deeply and humming in contentment as Jaskier leant back. The weight that Jaskier had been carrying for the last 3 weeks lifted as he stood in Geralt’s arms. “Miss me.” Jaskier grinned. Geralt just hummed in response. Jaskier lifted his face up offering his lips for Geralt to kiss. Which he did, deeply and passionately and Jaskier thought that if they’d been alone this would have progressed to something a tad more interesting. Except they weren’t.

Which was proven when Yennefer stated. “When you’re both quite finished.” Ciri was giggling from where she was hovering by Yennefer’s side. “We need to talk.” Yennefer’s tone was serious. “Council meeting in 2 hours. Get a bath first.” Yennefer wrinkled her nose at Geralt which had Jaskier laughing because, in fairness, the alpha really did stink. And he had mud and what Jaskier thought might be blood but he didn’t really want to know, sticking in his hair. 

Geralt growled but nodded in agreement as Yennefer and Triss walked into Kaer Morhen, Ciri talking happily between the two of them. 

.......

Geralt hummed in contentment as Jaskier ran nimble fingers through the Witcher’s white hair. The baths in Kaer Morhen were full of the Witcher’s returned from the battle, all shouting over each other as they regained in their win on the battlefield. Somehow, Jaskier had managed to move a particularly loud group of Bear Witcher’s so that he and Geralt had one of the smaller pools to themselves. 

Jaskier chuckled softly under his breath as his fingers washed away the dirt and blood from Geralt’s skin. He was standing behind Geralt, chest pressed to Geralt’s back. Geralt hummed again. “Hope you two aren’t thinking of sex.” Lambert grunted as he, Eskel and Cohen jumped into the pool Geralt and Jaskier were sharing.

“Behave.” Jaskier warned Lambert with a friendly punch to the bulky Witcher’s forearm. Lambert chuckled, leaning against the wall. Geralt grunted, a little annoyed that they’d been interrupted.

Jaskier yelped as Geralt grabbed the bard’s waist, dragging him over to the side and placing the omega on his lap. “Brute.” Jaskier announced, faking outrage even as he snuggled closer into Geralt’s chest. Geralt just hummed, breathing deeply the meadowy scent that was all Jaskier.

“Lovebirds, bloody sickening.” Lambert announced, getting a loud laugh from both Eskel and Cohen. Geralt ignored them, closing his eyes as he took in the feeling of the hot water soothing his muscles and the comforting weight of his mate on his lap.

“Love you.” Geralt grumbled as Eskel, Lambert and Cohen talked among themselves.

“Love you too.” Jaskier replied, placing a kiss on Gerlat’s lips. And for the first time in 3 weeks, Geralt was content.

.......

“Who should go?” Vesemir asked after Yennefer had finished explaining King Vizimir of Redania’s request about a treaty with the Witcher’s.

Yennefer turned violet eyes surveying the 4 other people in the room. Her eyes settled on Jaskier. The bard looked a lot more comfortable than he had 3 weeks ago. According to Vesemir he had been beyond an asset with dealing with the numerous small and large issues that cropped up on a nearly daily basis. The old wolf had sounded impressed. And he’d managed to keep Ciri happy. The girl had gushed to Yennefer and Triss abut Jaskier. How he’d kept everyone in the keep distracted while the other Witcher’s had been away.

“Geralt, of course.” Yennefer stated. “And myself. Eskel. We’ll need a guard of Witcher’s. How many do you think Jaskier?’ Jaskier looked a little surprised she’d asked him but he seemed to consider the question before answering.

“15. You do’t want too many but you also want to put a little bit of fear in King Vizimir. He did try and invade you after all.” Yennefer nodded in agreement. The little lark’s mind was running in the same direction her’s was.

“So, Geralt, Yennefer, me and 15 other Witcher’s.” Eskel counted on his fingers. “We’ll want a few from every school.” Yennefer nodded in agreement, knowing the Witcher schools all had to show a united front.

“And Jaskier.” Yennefer added after a moment silence. Jaskier’s stumbled at that, eyes wide in surprise. Geralt growled low in his throat, anger flashing across his amber eyes. Yennefer didn’t pay attention to either of them though. Her eyes drifted to Vesemir and Eskel. Eskel looked a little surprised at Yennefer’s decision but he nodded in agreement. Vesemir also nodded. Yennefer had discussed this with the old Wolf before the other’s had come down to the council room and he had agreed with her.

“Fuck no.” Geralt growled and Yennefer sighed. She knew she would have some resistance from the white haired wolf. Overprotective idiot that he was.

“We need someone who know’s Redanian politics. Jaskier fits that description.” Yennefer pointed out. They needed to know if Redania where trying to play them and as good as Yennefer was at politics, she wasn’t the best at spotting the minuscule things these nobles put in their peace treaties to try and get the upper ground on the opposing party. Jaskier would be able to help them spot the traps where they were.

“I don’t care.” Geralt growled, moving so he was nearly touching Jaskier. Jaskier’s blue eyes lifted from where they had been staring at the floor in thought to meet Yennefer’s eyes. There was a question in them, silently asking Yennefer if she was sure. She nodded once.

Jaskier took a deep breath, eyes steeling as he pushed away whatever fear he was feeling at the thought of returning to Redania. “I’ll go.” Geralt turned to Jaskier, amber eyes wide with refusal. Before he could say anything Jaskier spoke, “Yenn’s right. You need to be able to spot a trap in the political wording and I know more about what they’ll do to try and trip you up than anyone else here.”

“You’re sure.” Geralt’s voice was low, obviously only meant for the bard but the whole room heard it anywhere.

Jaskier moved his hand to gently caress Geralt’s face, eyes soft with affection for the alpha in front of him. “I’m sure.”

Geralt grunted in agreement, eyes blazing as he turned back to Yennefer. Yennefer didn’t need to try to hear Geralt’s thoughts as the alpha glared at her, he practically shouting them. If anything happened to Jaskier, then Geralt would blame her. Not that Yennefer intended to let anything happen to Jaskier. 15 Witcher’s were going, plus herself, Geralt and Eskel. Between them they could keep Jaskier safe.

Except he was still an unclaimed omega going into a place where they considered Omega’s less than even Witcher’s. A place which held obviously painful memories for Jaskier. 

Yennefer hoped they would be able to look after Jaskier because if they didn’t, it didn’t matter if Geralt blamed her because she would never forgive herself if something happened to their little lark.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter got a little away from me and I didn't get covered as much as I wanted. I hope you enjoy though.

It took them 4 days to prepare to go to Redania to discuss the peace treaty with King Vizimir. Yennefer needed to recover the chaos she had exerted patrolling the Witcher’s from the battlefield back to Kaer Morhen and the Witcher’s had needed a crash course in basic court etiquette.

Ciri had assisted Jaskier with showing the Witcher’s going to Kaer Morhen the correct way to behave in the court of Redania. Of the 15 Witcher’s going, Jaskier was pleased to see he recognised most of them. Aidan from the Cat school, Aukes ans Letho from the Viper school and of course Lambert, Cohen Eskel and Lambert from the wolf school. Eskel had been the least hopeless case in Jaskier’s etiquette lessons but it had taken all Jaskier’s patience to make the rest of them at least partly presentable. Ciri was the one that finally made the break through with how best to teach the Witcher’s court manners.

“Yennefer told me the best way to insult a nobleman is to be polite while doing it.” Ciri announced when Lambert had uttered his 20th fuck in the last half hour. She’d then proceeded to explain the best ways to insult a noble in a polite way that had Lambert grinning manically to himself. Jaskier had trouble keeping his face straight as he thought of all the new ways the Witcher’s learnt to offend someone for the next hour.

Leaving this time received a lot less fanfare than previously. most of the Witcher’s grunted their goodbye’s during breakfast but the only ones to see the group heading for Redania off where Vesemir, Ciri and Triss. Ciri grabbed each Witcher into a tight hug before she allowed any of them to leave. Once she had finished her long hug with Geralt, Jaskier had been surprised to find he had an armful of Ciri. “Look after them.” Ciri demanded.

“Promise.” Jaskier whispered, giving the cub a kiss on the head before she jumped out of the hug and stood next to Vesemir.

As busy as he had been preparing for their visit to Redania, Jaskier hadn’t had a chance to actually consider the implications of going there. As he stood next to Geralt waiting for Yennefer to open the portal, he felt a wave of fearful apprehension grip him. He knew most of these nobles on King Vizimir’s council. His Father was one of them. Jaskier had been forced to have sex with a large number of Vizimir’s council and the thought of standing before the alpha’s that had used him when he was at him most vulnerable had him shivering. What was Yennefer thinking, letting an unclaimed omega go to Redania. Let alone an unclaimed omega who was going to be an active part of the peace negotiations. He would be laughed out of there. They’d never take the Witcher’s seriously if they had an Omega running their negotiations for them. Which Jaskier knew he would end up doing with Yennefer as they were the only 2 with any sort of knowledge of the type of tricks Redania would try to pull during their negotiations.

Geralt placed a steady hand on his shoulder. “You don’t have to go.” And Jaskier knew if he said he couldn’t that no one would think less of him. But he couldn’t. He had to go. For himself. To prove to himself that he wasn’t the weak pathetic Omega he had been 8 years ago when ran away from his blood family and home.

“No. I’ll be fine.” Geralt grunted, hand tightening on Jaskier’s shoulder re-assuredly before letting go. Jaskier took a fortifying breath following the Witcher’s through the portal

.....

Geralt felt a burst of pride run through him as Jaskier stood next to him. He knew Jaskier was scared about going to Redania and Geralt couldn’t blame him. When Yennefer had suggested the Omega should come with them Geralt had felt a sudden urge to rip the mage in two. She had no right to suggest putting Jaskier in danger because Geralt wasn’t a fool. Having an unclaimed Omega with them actively participating in the negotiations was just asking for trouble. Except Jaskier had agreed and nothing Geralt said over the next few days of preparation would dissuade him.

“Yennefer’s right, you need someone there who understands Redanian politics.” Jaskier had argued. “I’ll be fine Geralt.” Jaskier had promised and while Geralt could smell the hint of fear laced under Jaskier’s sweet scent, he had had a determined look. So Geralt had agreed.

Yennefer’s portal took them outside the city gates of Tretegor, Redanian’s capital. Geralt kept his sense open as the group of Witcher’s plus Yennefer and Jaskier walked up to where a large group of guards awaited them. “That’s an impressive show.” Eskel noted quietly as the 34 guards stood watching the Witcher’s approach.

“May I be the first to welcome you to Redania, Warlord Geralt, White Wolf of Kaer Morhen and Conqueror of Kaedwen.” A beta appeared, offering Geralt a low bow. Jaskier’s words that here Geralt had the same rank as a King so shouldn’t bow to anyone (other than a small bow to King Vizimir) stopped Geralt from returning the gesture. Instead he nodded his head in greeting. “My name is Dijsktra and I will escort you up to the castle.”

“Thank you for the kind welcome.” Eskel grunted. The scarred Witcher had gotten used to being the Witcher’s voice over the years, seeing as Geralt was more accustomed to non-verbal replies.

“Dijsktra’s the head of the Redanian Secret Service.” Jaskier whispered as the 34 guards surrounded the Witcher’s and Dijsktra, leading the way up to King Vizimir’s castle. Geralt grunted in response, placing a hand on Jaskier’s back. Jaskier leaned back into it, posture softening slightly from the high-strung arch it had been since the moment they had walked through the portal.

The walk to the castle was uneventful. Tretegor was like most other cities Geralt had ever seen. They gained more than few curious stares as the passed by the homes of Tretegor’s population. Geralt was in the middle of the group surrounded on all side by the Witcher’s and in turn the Witcher’s surrounded by the Redanian guards. “King Vizimir is probably trying to make it look like he’s the one with all the power.” Jaskier muttered from his place next to Geralt. “That’s why were surrounded by all these guards.”

“So we look like we’re his prisoners.” Yennefer continued from her place next to Jaskier. It was an immediate reaction for all the alpha’s to surround their omega, keeping him safe and out of sight. Geralt was infinitely glad that surrounded as he was by Alpha’s, Jaskier’s Omega scent was somewhat masked. Only for the time being of course, eventually they would have to let Jaskier out of their protective circle and then anyone with have a nose would know there was an unclaimed omega in their midst. Geralt hand fisted slightly in the dark blue doublet Jaskier wore. Jaskier turned questioning blue eyes up at Geralt and Geralt just grunted. The bard offered up a comforting smile which had Geralt slowly loosening his grip on Jaskier. Yennefer and Jaskier had already both warned him (and the other Witcher’s) they couldn’t focus on protecting their omega. They had to concentrate on the negotiations so as much as Geralt was loathe to lose his concrete touch on Jaskier, he moved his hand back to his side and surveyed the city around him.

As they entered through the ornate golden gates of King Vizimir’s castle, Geralt felt disgusted. He noticed the other Witcher’s grumbling as well but he quickly quieted them down with a luck. Jaskier and Yennefer had warned them all not to show their displeasure. Not at first at least.

The wealth on display as they walked through the castle was extraordinary. It was in complete contrast to the filth ridden streets they’d passed on their way up here. The city stunk of poverty and here was their King surrounded by wasteful wealth.

The Witcher’s stood out like sore thumbs as they filed into the grand hall. The nobles of Redania stood on the Dias, around an ornate golden throne where the greying King Vizimir stood. Geralt felt out of place as the Witcher’s fanned out opposite the nobles. They were dressed in their finest clothes, bright coloured clothing made of what Geralt was sure was the finest silk while the Witcher’s all wore their armour, scarred from numerous years of battle. While the nobles of Redania wore enough jewellery between them to feed their country for years (Geralt was sure), the Witcher’s wore only their medallions. Everyone of the nobles stood in front of them were Alpha’s, a fact Geralt was positive had been done on purpose seeing as everyone knew Witcher’s were alpha’s.

The only ones not out of place where Jaskier and Yennefer. Yennefer as always was dressed impeccably. She wore a dark purple dress that left very little to imagination. Coupled with the obsidian necklace encircling her neck and flowing black hair she put all of the Redanian noblewomen to shame. Except perhaps Philippa Eilhart (Redanian’s sorceress). Jaskier likewise was dressed in a new dark blue doublet that made the blue in his eyes stand out magnificently. His brown hair had been arrayed neatly and he held himself tall, showing his height to be equal to that of the Witcher’s surrounding them. If not for the ever present lute hanging from his back, Jaskier looked like he would have fit better on the Redanian side of the room.

Dijsktra and their guards had disappeared from their company as soon as they were in view on the grand hall’s doors. Geralt’s amber eyes turned to the dull eyes of Redanian’s Kings. Both Alpha’s watched each other for several moment before King Vizimir stood from his throne and walked forwards.

Jaskier had told Geralt that he should let King Vizimir introduce himself first so Geralt watched as the King offered a low bow of his head. “Greeting Geralt, Warlord of the Witcher’s of Kaer Morhen. You are most welcome.”

Geralt nodded his head as well, not as deeply as Vizimir had. “I thank you for the invitation.” Jaskier and Yennefer had spent hours coaching Geralt on the best way to introduce himself to Redanian high society. “I hope our negotiations will go well.”

“And quickly.” Vizimir added, earning a laugh from several nobles behind them. Geralt nodded though he doubted it very much. “You must be very tired from your journey. Please fine with us tonight. We’ll begin negotiations in the morning.”

“As you wish.” Geralt grunted. As his eyes surveyed the group of nobles on the Dias, Geralt became aware of a tall bulky alpha standing on the right hand side of the King. His blue eyes, somehow familiar to Geralt, were trained on the group behind Geralt. Geralt tracked the alpha’s line of sight, finding the alpha was looking at Jaskier.

Jaskier stood straight next to Yennefer, face pale as he returned the alpha’s gaze with wide eyes. Yennefer had a hand on Jaskier’s back, violet eyes spinning. Geralt looked up to the Dias to find a number of other nobles were looking at Jaskier strangely. King Vizimir followed the eyes of his council, eyebrows raising as he took a sniff of the air. Geralt cursed. When the Witcher’s had fanned out across the room they had unknowingly let Jaskier’s omega scent penetrate the air. The sweet smell of buttercups and dandelions drifted to Geralt. 

“You’ve brought an unclaimed omega? How unusual?” King Vizimir stated. “Well, I suppose we all have our vices.” This drew a laugh from the nobles around them. Geralt felt himself tense, all the other Witcher’s around him doing the same. Jaskier, for his part remained still, eyes trained on the council with a defiant look on his face.

“Jaskier is a member of my council and is an integral part of our negotiations.” Geralt growled. This drew a few curious looks from the nobles on the Dias. A few had a hard time hiding their chuckles of laughter. Geralt felt anger grow in his eyes but when he met Jaskier’s gaze the omega gently shook his head.

The anger still bubbling, Geralt conceded. “As you said, we are tired from our journey so will retire now.” Geralt didn’t bother hiding the growl from his voice that had a few of the nobles flinching backwards a little.

As they exited the room, Jaskier being instantly surrounded by the Witcher’s, Geralt found his gaze moving to the noble at Vizimir’s right hand side. He hadn’t said anything throughout but his blue eyes were still trained steadily on Jaskier’s retreating form.

........

As the servants walked the group of Witcher’s towards their suite of rooms, Jaskier could feel his carefully controlled composure start to crumble. Standing in front of the Dias of noblemen, Jaskier had struggled to keep the fear that was lodging its way up his throat stifled. Yennefer had helped, placing a hand on his back and keeping a protective stance near him as the nobles stares turned to him.

Jaskier had recognised all of them. Most of King Vizimir’s council had been regular attendees at Lettenhove when Jaskier was a child. A number had been brought to him during his heat by his Father. Jaskier knew he would recognise some of them. Knew that most of the nobles in front of him had all touched or spoken about him in a demeaning way. He thought he’d be prepared. He had been. He’d been prepared for recognising them. He’d been able to convince himself it would be ok because none of them would recognise Jaskier the White Wolf’s bard as Julian Viscount de Lettenhove. 

No what Jaskier hadn’t been prepared for was his Father’s blue eyes training in on his son, eyes betraying what his face did not. He had recognised Jaskier. Jaskier knew it. He knew the look of deep contentment in his Father’s eyes. There had only ever been one person he had ever directed that look at. Julian. His son. Jaskier.

Jaskier didn’t realise they’d even entered their suite of rooms until the door shut behind them. The soft click of the door shutting behind the Witcher’s nearly had Jaskier jumping out of his skin. He was aware his breathing was coming a little shallow. At least he thought it might be as he was suddenly going very light headed.

Geralt guided him over to a chair, Jaskier collapsing into it, dropping his head into his hands as he tried to get control of himself. He was here to help with negotiations and here he was proving how right his Father had always been. Useless. Pathetic. The words rang loudly in Jaskier’s ears and Jaskier found himself tightening his hands in his hair. He would not cry. he would not allow his Father to be right. He couldn’t.

“Jaskier?” Geralt’s soft voice filled Jaskier with guilt. The alpha was worried.

Jaskier breathed softly, shaking his head to clear it. When he lifted his head he found 17 sets of amber Witcher eyes on him and Yennefer’s own swirling violet eyes. “Sorry.” Jaskier mumbled because he didn’t know what to say. Useless, the words echoed around Jaskier’s head.

“Why don’t the rest of you go and get settled.” Eskel announced as Geralt and Yennefer crowded around Jaskier, protective worry in their every movement. “Give the bard some space.” The Witcher’s grumbled but did as Eskel bid. 

Lambert, Eskel, Cohen and Aidan remained, the four Witcher’s lurking at the back of the room as Geralt knelt in front of Jaskier. “I’ll kill them all if you asked.” Geralt growled fiercely and Jaskier found himself chuckling.

“I know you would dear wolf.” Jaskier traced a line across Geralt’s jaw. Geralt grunted, nuzzling into Jaskier’s hand.

“Who was he?” Yennefer asked, violet eyes spinning. “The man that was watching you.” Jaskier shivered, head ducking down to look at the floor.

Geralt’s hand appeared on his knee, squeezing encouragingly. “My Father.” Jaskier finally answered, lifting his head so he could meet the gaze of the alpha’s in the room. “Alfred de Lettenhove.” Geralt growled low and dangerous in his throat.

“I’ll kill him.” Geralt stood in one fluid motion. The four Witcher’s moved from their places at the back of the room in one motion, standing at Geralt’s side, ready to help the White Wolf murder the man that had harm their little lark.

“Not you won’t.” Jaskier announced, standing so he was in front of Geralt. Geralt’s amber eyes blazed with fury. “You can’t.” Jaskier cast his gaze to the five Witcher’s in the room. When his gaze rested on Geralt, Jaskier felt warmth fill his heart at his overprotective Alpha. “We’re here to negotiate. Not to murder a member of King Vizimir’s council.” Jaskier murmured, taking hold of Geralt’s hand and squeezing it gently.

“He deserves to die.” Geralt grunted. “For what he did to you. He deserves to die.” 

Jaskier just nodded, tracing a random pattern on Geralt’s hand. “I can’t argue. But you can’t.”

“I can’t just ignore what he did to you.” Geralt growled, anger still blazing in his eyes.

“I don’t expect you to.” Jaskier answered. “But you have to.” Jaskier tone was forceful. “What happened was 8 years ago. It can’t matter now. It can’t affect the reason we’re here.” Geralt grunted, eyes still blazing with fury but he nodded. Jaskier turned his head to meet Yennefer’s spinning violet eyes. There was anger in those depths as well but she nodded in approval as Jaskier moved Geralt to sitting on a chair.

The other Witcher’s stood a moment longer, amber eyes blazing at Jaskier. “You’re sure you don’t want us to kill him.” Lambert grunted and Jaskier chuckled softly.

“Want you to. Yes.” Jaskier replied honestly. “But what I want is irrelevant. You have to be civil. All of you.” 

“Bloody hard ask that.” Lambert grunted even as Eskel nodded to Jaskier’s words.

“I’ll pass on the message to the others.” Eskel replied, dragging the other 3 Witcher’s out of the room with him.

Once they had exited, Jaskier found himself on the arm of the chair Geralt occupied. The alpha grunted, arms wrapping around Jaskier and pulling the omega onto his lap. Yennefer rolled her eyes, heading to the door as well. “I’ll see you at dinner.” Jaskier nodded his goodbye.

Once the door closed behind Yennefer, Jaskier turned in Geralt’s lap so he was straddling his hips, their foreheads touching. The amber eyes blazed into Jaskier’s eyes, making the omega’s heart flutter. “I’m sorry.” Jaskier found himself murmur. “I didn’t mean to make these negotiations more complicated.”

Geralt hummed in response. “Not your fault these nobles are small minded.” And Jaskier found himself nodding in agreement. They were small minded. They didn’t see any value in omega’s, whereas the Witcher’s of Kaer Morhen did. “We need you here.”

“Even thought you didn’t want me to come.” Jaskier joked. Geralt hummed again. “I know. You’re worried. I don’t blame you.” Jaskier murmured. “Just promise me you won’t do anything to ruin our chances at a decent negotiation.”

“I promise. As long as they play nice, we will.” Geralt agreed. And there in lay the problem because Jaskier knew for a fact that the Redanian nobility would by no means play fair.

…….

Geralt was placed at the high table with the members of Redanian’s noble family. King Vizimir sat at the middle of the table, Geralt sat at his right, with the King’s wife (a demure young beta) at his left. Eskel sat on the other side of Geralt with Yennefer next to him. She was deep in conversation with the Redanian sorceress Philippa Eilhart. 

“Glad I’m not fucking up there.” Lambert announced from his seat next to Jaskier. Aidan grunted in agreement from the other side of Jaskier. The Witcher’s had been placed on a table below the dais. Jaskier noted that while the other nobility mixed, no one came near the Witcher’s table. A thing he was grateful for.

Jaskier was aware he was the only Omega in the room and as such he’d gained the eyes of nearly every alpha and a few beta’s in the room. Jaskier had ignored the stares and pointed whispers but he still heard and felt them. Geralt had looked like he was ready to throttle someone by the time they’d entered the grand hall for dinner, he only thing stopping him being Jaskier’s hand on his arm.

“Where’s the fucking grub?” Lambert announced loudly, gaining a distasteful sneer from the ladies on the table near them. Jaskier hid a snort of laughter at the disgusted looks of the nobles.

“Here it comes.” Aukes announced happily, grabbing a leg of lamb before the poor servant had managed to even put it down. Jaskier offered the server an apologetic look and was a little taken back by the sneer he received. At least until he remembered his place in the eyes of every alpha and beta in the room. He was an omega, below even the lowliest servant in the pecking order. Jaskier felt a little flutter of hurt in his heart but pushed it down quickly. He wouldn’t indulge in those thoughts while he was here. 

He hadn’t seen sight of his Father yet and for the Jaskier was grateful. He didn’t think he could manage to sit through this dinner being sneered at by the man. It was bad enough the rest of the nobility in the room and even the servants looking down their noses at him. “Hey, where the fuck are you going with that?” Lambert growled. Jaskier had been lost in his own thoughts that he hadn’t realised that the servant had gone to take his plate away. Jaskier felt his face flush in embarrassment as he remembered Redanian custom. Omega’s didn’t eat until the alpha’s and beta’s had had their fill.

“My apologies sir,” The servant stated, he couldn’t be more than 18, still a boy really, and he looked very uncomfortable under the angry glare of the alpha. “We hadn’t realised there was an omega here and as you know omega’s don’t eat until alpha’s and beta’s have.” Lambert growled low in his throat.

“Put it the fuck down.” Lambert growled. The other Witcher’s on the table had gone silent, staring at the servant.

“Sir…” The boy stammered.

“I said put it the fuck down.” Lambert said and the boy did, all but running away from the Witcher’s table.

“Here.” Aukes stated, thumping a large piece of meat on Jaskier’s plate. Jaskier felt his ears heat up in embarrassment as he became aware of the looks, they were receiving. Some of the people around them looked like they wanted to say something but the glares from the Witcher’s was enough deterrent for them not to. Jaskier trailed his eyes over the room, eyes landing on his Father’s gaze on him. Jaskier felt a shudder run up his spine as the man glared at him. To Jaskier’s horror, his Mother was also staring at Jaskier a distasteful set to her lips.

Jaskier ducked his head, eyes focusing on the food in front of him even as his stomach turned. All of a sudden he didn’t feel very hungry. But he could feel the concerned looks of the Witcher’s around him, so swallowing the sickly feeling in his stomach, he ate.

When the food was finally taken away, musician’s filed into the middle of the room. There was a large area ready for dancers and as the first notes were strung, King Vizimir led his wife down to dance. Jaskier watched as Yennefer forced Geralt up to dance with her. As the notes strung out, numerous members joined the King and Warlord on the dance floor. To Jaskier’s surprise Philippa Eilhart accepted the hand of the Dijkstra, the two gliding across the floor.

“Not as good as you lark.” Aidan grunted. 

“I agree.” Eskel agreed as he took an empty seat at the Witcher’s table. When the music had started it had given everyone an excuse to move around tables, meaning Eskel could escape the high table where he had been sitting uncomfortably throughout the whole dinner.

“Well thank you.” Jaskier puffed up at the comment which had the Witcher’s around him laughing.

When the song ended, Jaskier was surprised to see Geralt move across the floor, Yennefer having disappeared to dance in the arms of a noble Jaskier didn’t know the name of. “Dance with me?” Geralt grunted, standing in front of Jaskier with blazing amber eyes. Jaskier felt his heart flutter a little, a light blush appearing on his cheeks as he nodded.

Jaskier was aware of the stares and whispers that followed the pair as Geralt took hold of Jaskier’s waist, taking the lead in the dance. Jaskier and Ciri had spent hours teaching the Witcher’s how to dance. Surprisingly, or not really, they’d all been very good at it. All the years of training making them light on their feet.

As Geralt and Jaskier followed the steps to the dance, Jaskier slowly felt the unease he’d been feeling all dinner start to fade. Geralt’s amber eyes never once left Jaskier’s face, offering every bit of adoration he had for the bard in that one long look. Jaskier felt himself glowing at the attentions of his alpha.

That as at least until the song ended and another alpha appeared at Jaskier’s side. “Mind if I take a dance, Witcher.” The man was on the portly side, balding slightly. His lecherous look made Jaskier’s skin crawl as he made a show of looking Jaskier up and down.

“Yes.” Geralt growled. “He’s mine.” 

The man either didn’t take the hint or he had a death wish, Jaskier thought as he continued, “He’s not claimed. Every alpha in here can smell that.” Geralt growled low in his throat as he pulled Jaskier behind him away from the man’s gaze. “Come now, surely you don’t mind sharing.”

Geralt’s hand twitched at his side, looking like he was about to punch the man when Alfred Pankratz, Viscount de Lettenhove appeared. Jaskier felt his heart leap into his throat at the same time Geralt growled angrily. “You heard the man Gregory. The omega’s his.” Jaskier’s Father’s eyes cast over Jaskier in a distasteful look.

The balding alpha sputtered but walked away. At some point they’d drifted to the edges of the dance floor. “Julian.” Alfred’s voice was cold as he greeted his son.

“Father.” Jaskier replied, standing taller under his Father’s cold gaze. 

“Still flouncing around embarrassing the family name I see.” Geralt growled low in his throat at the man’s words. “We thought you were dead when you didn’t come home.”

“I’m sure you pleased to see I’m not.” Jaskier continued, voice as cold as his Fathers. Geralt’s hand was on Jaskier’s back, offering the bard silent comfort even as the white haired Witcher fixed Jaskier’s Father with a glare that would have had any sane person running a mile.

“Quite.” His Father stated, his eyes roamed over Jaskier in distaste before settling on the Witcher. “When you’re done playing whore to the Witcher’s, I suggest you return home. I’m sure we can still find you a halfway decent match.” And before his Father’s words had truly hit home the man was walking away.

Jaskier felt humiliated at the words spoken to him in his Father’s matter of fact way. As if he was right. As if he fully expected Jaskier to turn and follow him. As if he thought Jaskier would ever go home to him. Jaskier felt the heat on his face from the embarrassment and suddenly a new emotion filled him. Anger. Anger at that man for ever thinking that Jaskier would ever just go home to him. That he still thought he could dictate Jaskier’s life.

Geralt was silently seething next to Jaskier, hand gripped tightly in Jaskier’s arm. “We’re done tonight.” Geralt grunted and Jaskier nodded in agreement. He couldn’t bare to be in this room with these people a moment longer.

Jaskier had forgotten what it was like to be an omega in Redania. He’d spent 8 years with the protection of the Druidic spell, suppressing his omega scents. And when he finally had begun to smell like an omega again, he had been in Kaer Morhen where the alpha’s hadn’t cared. The only change had been their protective instincts towards their omega. None of the Witcher’s would ever consider treating Jaskier the way he had been treated in the short time they had been in Redania.

And Jaskier was angry. He was angry that he was forced to endure the humiliation of being treated like an object, like less of a person. Like his thoughts and feelings didn’t matter. He was angry that it had taken Lambert, an alpha, saying something just so he could eat. He was angry that an alpha thought just because he hadn’t been physically claimed by Geralt that he could assume Jaskier would whore himself out to any alpha that came up to him. But most of all he was angry that his Father still thought he had the right to treat Jaskier the same way he had been treating his own fucking son since Jaskier presented.

They had no right. None of them had any right. But it didn’t matter, Jaskier thought sullenly. Because he was an omega and no matter how angry or embarrassed he got, the people of Redania will still continue to treat him in the same way they had always treated him.

And that hurt more than anything else that had happened all day.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning, mentions of sexual content, rape and blood in this chapter.

Geralt was beyond furious as he led Jaskier back to their rooms hand firm on Jaskier’s back. The omega was a shade of pink, eyes downcast in obvious embarrassment. Geralt held back to the low growl in his throat as he heard the whispered muttering of the alpha’s and beta’s the two passed.

“Almost feel sorry for the omega.” One noble sneered.

“Witcher’s going to break him in two.” Another laughed lightly, eyes roaming over Jaskier who was standing as straight as possible, obviously trying to hide his discomfort. 

“Wonder if he’ll leave anything for the rest of us.” The two nobles snorted in laughter, eyes now very obviously looking at Jaskier with lust in their gazes. 

Geralt stopped short, turning to face the two nobles. He growled low in his throat, the two men shrinking slightly. “Geralt, it doesn’t matter.” Jaskier’s voice was soft as he gently tugged at Geralt’s sleeve to lead the alpha away.

“It fucking matters.” Geralt growled but let the omega draw him up the corridor and away from the people loitering in the corridor.

Jaskier was quiet as they entered their rooms. Too fucking quiet. Geralt sensed the distress rolling off Jaskier as the omega’s hands shook, trying to unbutton the doublet he was wearing. Jaskier turned blue eyes bright with unshed tears to look at Geralt as the alpha slowly undid the buttons for him. “I’m sorry.” jaskier murmured and Geralt bristled with anger again. 

“You have nothing to fucking apologise for.” Geralt had wanted to kill them all. Every single fucking person in that room that had looked at Jaskier like he was less than themselves. Like he was shit on the bottom of their shoes. Geralt growled low in his throat as he remembered sitting at the high table, listening as the servant explained his omega shouldn’t be fed until the rest of them had had their fill. That Jaskier, the kindest, sweetest person Jaskier had ever known, did deserve a common decency like being fed at the same time as everyone else.

“I’d forgotten what it was all like.” Jaskier admitted quietly, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. Geralt sat next to him, breathing deeply as Jaskier leant into his side.

“I’ll kill them all.” Geralt growled. The other Witcher’s would help. They’d all been watching their bard as they entered the hall that evening for dinner. Geralt hadn’t been the only one shimmering with anger at the hateful words of the Redanian nobility. 

“Witcher’s whore.”

“Smells like a fucking meadow. Wonder if he smells like that when he’s on his knees.” 

“Where’s his collar? Disrespectful little slut walking around as if he has a right to be here.”

Geralt snarled fiercely, pulling Jaskier flush against his side as their words rang in Geralt’s head. Disrespectul bastards. The lot of them. And that bastard that had suggested Jaskier was a thing to share. His eyes had been blown wide in lust, his breeches tenting with the obvious erection. And Geralt would have broken his neck if not for Jaskier. Because if Geralt did that then it would have meant a fight in the hall. Geralt had know doubt the nobility wouldn’t have stood a chance against the Witcher’s and Yennefer but Geralt couldn’t risk it. Because if he’d given in to his urges to kill every single bastard in that room then it would have put Jaskier in danger. Geralt couldn’t have been sure that Jaskier would have been safe if he’d gone on a killing spree. So instead, Geralt had let the anger simmer and boil to the point of it being painful as he watched Jaskier’s vibrant blue eyes grow duller and duller with every veiled threat and insult thrown his way.

And Jaskier Father. Geralt didn’t think it was possible to hate someone as much as he hated Lettenhove but he did. After everything that man had put Jaskier through in his childhood, he had the nerve to suggest Jaskier would be better with him.

“Geralt?” Jaskier’s voice was muffled from where his face was buried in Geralt’s shirt. Geralt growled low, manoeuvring them so Jaskier was nearly lying on top of Geralt on the bed. Jaskier let himself be moved, burying his face deeply into Geralt’s neck.

Geralt said nothing the anger still rolling through him in waves. He’d have to put a guard on his omega. Jaskier couldn’t be left alone in this place. Hell if Geralt knew what one of these alpha’s would do. It was bad enough what they did with the Witcher’s in full view, Geralt felt his stomach turn in knots at the thought of what they would do to Jaskier if the Witcher’s weren’t there to protect him

“Geralt, sweetheart? Pleas talk to me.” Geralt just grunted, tightening his hold on Jaskier further. Every alpha instinct he had was shouting at him to take Jaskier away from this place. To keep him safe. To kill every single bastard that tried to touch his omega. “Geralt, please. You’re hurting me.”

And Jaskier’s soft voice, fear in his tone brought Geralt out of his senses. He realised how tightly he’d been holding Jaskier to him. He made a strangled noise, gently pushing Jaskier off him and jumping away from the bed as if he’d been burnt. Geralt lowered his amber eyes in shame as he backed away from the omega. He expected jaskier to leave, to turn his back on Geralt and get away from the overprotective alpha.

But Jaskier didn’t. Instead the omega walked forwards so he was close enough to touch if Geralt just moved a small step forwards. Geralt stepped backwards away from the omega only to find his wall hit a wall. He could push past Jaskier but doing so would cause the bard more pain and Geralt couldn’t bare to hurt him again.

“Geralt, listen to me love.” Jaskier murmured, placing a gentle hand on Geralt’s face. “Look at me.” Geralt turned his amber eyes to look at Jaskier own blue ones. Wide and full of love and comfort. “It’s ok.”

“I’m sorry.” Geralt grunted.

“We seem to be doing a lot of that at the moment don’t we.” Jaskier noted, tracing a soft finger down Geralt’s jawline that damn near had him purring. “I know you didn’t mean to hurt me. You were just worried.” Jaskier was soft. “You were just being protective. It’s not your fault.”

“I’m sorry.” Geralt grunted again, letting himself lean into Jaskier as the omega drew the alpha into a hug. Geralt rested his head on Jaskier’s neck, breathing in the relaxing scent of dandelions and utter cups. He let the scent ground him into the moment. Let Jaskier lead him back into bed.

Jaskier leant up, taking Geralt into a long kiss. “I love you Geralt.” The omega murmured into Geralt’s lips. Geralt hummed in agreement, letting Jaskier’s deft fingers remove his clothing. Jaskier quickly stripped out of his own shirt an breeches, giggling as Geralt pushed them so Jaskier was lying on his back, Geralt hovering above him. This time Geralt was mindful of his own strength, keeping his grip on the omega gentle as they kissed deeply and longingly.

They were both tired, emotionally drained from the days events so their love making was messy and quick but when Geralt leant against the headboard, gasping for breath from Jaskier’s hands on his cock he felt like the anger had leaked from him.

Jaskier purred, nuzzling close into Geralt side, humming his contentment as Geralt held his omega close. And the two fell asleep like that. Jaskier held in the protective embrace of Geralt’s arms.

...........

“Get some last night lark.” Lambert shouted in encouragement as Jaskier and Geralt walked into the small living room the Redanian’s had included in the Witcher’s suite of rooms.

Jaskier blushed, even as he rolled his eyes. “Well, someone has to and with your manners your’re lucky anyone’s ever touched you.” The Witcher’s all laughed loudly at that and Yennefer even found herself grinning slightly.

She was glad to see Geralt seemed calmer than he had the previous day. Not that Yennefer could blame Geralt for being angry, but it wouldn’t do them any good to let their anger crowd their thoughts during the negotiations. Jaskier was pressed to Geralt’s side, Geralt’s arm slung over the bards shoulder holding him close.

“Thought it’d be better if we had breakfast up here.” Eskel stated, motioning to the large piles of food the Witcher’s had scrounged together while Geralt and Jaskier were still in bed. Yennefer almost felt sorry for the kitchen staff who had been bombarded with 15 hungry angry Witcher’s. Almost. She still remembered seeing the servants sneering at Jaskier as they tried to make the omega wait for his own dinner. Yennefer had done a better job of hiding her anger at the behaviour of the people of Redania towards their omega than the Witcher’s but she was no less angry than any of them

Yennefer met Jaskier’s blue eyes over the table as Geralt piled his and Jaskier’s plates with food. Jaskier smiled re-assuredly at Yennefer and she found herself nodding. If the bard asked her to she would kill every single person that had ever hurt him with words or touches treaty be damned. Looking at the gazes of the Witcher’s surrounding them, amber eyes all blazing with protective anger as they watched their little lark, Yennefer knew she wasn’t alone.

“So, we’re to meet with King Vizimir and his council to start discussing the treaty at 10.” Yennefer stated. 

“Good, the sooner we get this done the sooner we can leave.” Eskel grunted and Yennefer couldn’t help but agree. She didn’t want to be around these slimy pathetic bastards a moment more than she had to.

Yennefer had spent the previous evening with Philippa Eilhart, who had been extremely curious about the unclaimed omega in their midst. “I always thought Witcher’s killed omega’s.” Phillips stated off handedly as she turned predatory eyes to watch Jaskier at the table below them during dinner. Yennefer had felt protective anger course through her. “I wonder if your omega would be willing to enjoy the company of a more feline partner.” She purred. “Have you tasted him?”

“Jaskier is free to be with who he wishes.” Yennefer has replied carefully, aware Geralt and Eskel could hear ever word she and the Redanian mage said. “And Jaskier has chosen to share his love and by extension bed with the White wolf.”

“And yet he remains unclaimed.” Philippa had continued.

“Physically yes.” Yennefer replied not bothering to hide the anger in her words. “But emotionally I assure you he is very much claimed by Geralt.”

Philippa seemed to consider that for a moment. “A shame.” Her eyes turned to look down the table at Geralt. “I don’t suppose you mind sharing do you Wolf.” Geralt had growled low and dangerously at that. Philippa hadn’t even batted an eyelid as she sighed. “Understandably. I wouldn’t willingly let go of a treat like that either.”

When Geralt and Jaskier had taken their leave of the room, Yennefer had had a hard time controlling the Witcher’s. Between her and Eskel they had finally managed to get them back to their rooms without the Witcher’s gutting some unsuspecting noble. A shame really, Yennefer had thought. Lettenhove especially, Yennefer wouldn’t mind killing.

As she watched Jaskier snuggle closer to Geralt, Yennefer found herself smirking softly. She couldn’t wait to see the nobles shocked horrified faces when the Witcher’s omega took lead on their negotiations.

.........

Geralt kept a hand hovered near Jaskier’s back as he, Jaskier, Yennefer and Eskel entered the King Vizimir’s council room. The King and his 5 council member were gathered at one end of the table. Geralt felt his anger simmer when his eyes laid on Alfred Pankratz, Viscount de Lettenhove. The man’s blue eyes, so like Jaskier’s own were settled on Jaskier. Distaste was obvious in his face.

Philippa Eilhart was sat on the left had side of the King, Dijsktra on her other side. Geralt felt a growl low in his throat when he spotted the man that had dared to try and lay a hand on Jaskier the previous evening. Geralt thought his name was Gregory but the evening was clouded in a red mist of anger that he couldn’t be sure. The 5th and final member of the Redanian council was a man Geralt didn’t know the name of.

Jaskier and Yennefer both offered their greetings formally and without a hint of any emotion they may feel towards the nobles. Geralt watched with angry eyes as the 4 alpha’s watched Jaskier with distasteful looks. Philippa Eilhart and Dijsktra fixed the omega with curious looks as Jaskier took his seat between Geralt and Yennefer. Eskel sat on Geralt’s right side, hands clenched into fists at his sides.

“So, how should we begin?” Yennefer asked, voice laced with venom even as she kept her gaze neutral.

“We have drawn up a peace treaty which we believe will benefit both our nations.” The alpha Geralt didn’t know the name of said, passing a l long piece of parchment down the table. Geralt grunted, pushing it towards Jaskier and Yennefer to read.

King Vizimir lifted an eyebrow at that. “You place your omega’s in high esteem in the North.”

“We treat people as they should be treated in the North.” Geralt growled in answer.

They sat in uncomfortable silence while Jaskier and Yennefer read the treaty. When they were finished, Yennefer lifted her spinning violet eyes to fix the King of Redania with a glare that would have had even a Witcher running for cover. “You really think we’ll sign this.”

“I assure you,”. Gregory spoke, flinching under the stare of the violet eyed sorceress. Here was a piss poor example of an alpha, Geralt thought. Strange how genetics could place such a coward with the status of an alpha while a strong and intelligent man like Jaskier was forced into the position of omega. “These are acceptable terms.”

“You want to take half of the White Wolf’s territory from him.” Jaskier stated, pushing the parchment back down to the end of the table.

“They are Redanian lands.” Lettenhove sneered, blue eyes fixing his son with an icy glare. “I don’t expect an omega to understand the delicate intricacies of politics but those lands are Redanian’s by law.” Geralt and Eskel both stiffened at the snide words of Lettenhove. Yennefer fixed the man with her violet eyes glare but the man didn’t remove his disapproving icy glare from jaskier.

Jaskier didn’t flinch under the glare even though Geralt could clearly se the tension in the line of the omega’s shoulders. Geralt placed a soft hand on Jaskier’s knee in reassurance. “The White Wolf won those lands in battle.” Jaskier noted, tone icy. “I believe they were forced to take those lands because Redania attacked the White Wolf’s holdings in Kaedwen.” Lettenhove seethed at his sons words. “And I also understand that the reason this treaty is necessary is once more because Redania believed they could attack the Witcher’s without consequences.”

The room was silent for a few moments. Philippa Eilhart looked slightly impressed at the omega’s words while Dijsktra was watching Jaskier curiously. Gregory and the man Geralt didn’t know the name of were staring in outraged horror at the omega while Lettenhove looked like he was getting ready to throw himself across the table and throttle his son. King Vizimir himself sat in silence, anger and distaste in his impression as he looked at Jaskier.

“And who are you to speak on behalf of the White Wolf, Omega.” The man geralt didn’t know the name of snarled. “Are you not the son of the Viscount de Lettenhove, do you not owe your fealty to Redania.” A dark look crossed Lettenhove’s face as he glared at Jaskier.

“Jaskier is a member of the White Wolf’s council.” Yennefer retorted, eyes glaring daggers at the council members in front of her.

“I believe we are getting away from the matter of hand.” Dijsktra interrupted before the discussion could go any further. “You say the treaty is not to your liking, then I suggest we discuss how we can all come to some sort of agreement.”

“Dijsktra is correct.” King Vizimir stated, sitting straighter in his chair. “We are here to discuss a treaty, not an omega’s right to be in this room. As I re-call, Alfred, you had no problem letting your son sit in council meetings when he was with you.” And Jaskier flinched at those words, making the anger Geralt had been feeling since entering this room surge.

Jaskier grabbed Geralt’s hand under the table, squeezing tightly. A silent plea to ignore the King’s words. Geralt growled low but remained seated, keeping a tight hold on Jaskier’s hand.

The negotiations lasted all day. Lunch was served in the room as the two sides argued over what should and shouldn’t be included in this treaty. The Redanian’s demanded the White Wolf stay away from their own lands while the White Wolf’s side demanded that Redania the same rights the White Wolf’s territories offered to the elves, dwarves and halflings. They had discussed exactly what they wanted from the treaty before they had come to Redania. Yennefer and Jaskier spending hours writing down everything they were willing to give away and everything they would not give up. 

By the time they broke for the evening, Geralt was exhausted. “I’ll have this written up and a copy sent to you in the morning.” Dijsktra announced, taking the parchment that was now scrawled heavily with the demands that each side had made and accepted.

As the 4 stood to leave the council room, Geralt because aware of the dark glare Lettenhove had fixed to Jaskier’s back.

.......

The Witcher’s didn’t go down to dinner that night. None of them willing to sit in the room as the nobles watch Jaskier with lustful wanting glances again. Lambert and Aidan had managed to scare the servants into bringing them up a virtual feast. Jaskier settled into Geralt’s side as he watched the Witcher’s laughing and shouting above each other. 

The council meeting had been a tense and nerve wracking affair for Jaskier. He’d been all too aware of the eyes of his Father on him throughout their negotiations. It had been obvious the man had despised Jaskier’s being their. If not for the presence of Geralt, Yennefer and Eskel, Jaskier was positive his Father would have taken his anger out on his son in some way. But the Witcher’s and mage were as good a buffer as their could be. No matter how angry his Father was that Jaskier was there, he wasn’t a stupid man. And trying to harm Jaskier in front of 3 overprotective alpha’s would have been the height of stupidity.

“What did King Vizimir mean when he said you’d been in council meetings before?” Eskel asked when they were halfway through eating. Jaskier froze, stiffening at Geralt’s side. The 15 Witcher’s and Eskel were all looking at him with questioning looks. Geralt wrapped a hand across Jaskier’s shoulder, offering silent comfort even as he glared at the other Witcher’s to stand down. “Sorry.” Eskel immediately said, amber eyes turning apologetic as they looked at Jaskier. “You don’t have to tell us.”

Jaskier took a deep breath. He hadn’t told anyone other than Geralt what had happened to him. Yennefer, Jaskier suspected, also knew most of the story. The mage was too smart not to have guessed at least part of the story. Triss as well. But the Witcher’s, they didn’t know anything. Jaskier knew they must have guessed Jaskier had been hurt during his time in Redania, perhaps they even suspected he’d been raped during his heats. But they didn’t know the rest. The way Jaskier was treated every day of his life because of who he was.

“I know.” Jaskier breathed. The Witcher’s had seen the way he was treated, had all heard the comments the nobles whispered about him. It wasn’t exactly a secret, but the memories were painful. jaskier placed his plate down, suddenly no longer feeling very hungry. Geralt’s arm around his shoulder pulled him closer and Jaskier breathed in the spicy scent of his Alpha, feeling safe in his arms. “My Father used to bring me to some of his meetings. For a distraction, you see.” Jaskier said, swallowing around the lump in his throat.

He’d been passed around the alpha’s in those meetings, sitting on laps as their hands roamed up and down his body. “To be fair, they weren’t really council meetings.” jaskier gave a self deprecating laugh. “Most of them were drunk.” Jaskier shivered involuntarily at the memory of the heavy smell of wine on a alpha’s breath as they nibbled at his neck. Right above the scent gland, threatening that they had the power to claim him even though they never did. After all, that had been his Father’s one rule. No one was allowed to claim Jaskier even as he allowed them to rape and touch and grab him. For that Jaskier was grateful.

“They touched you?’ Aidan’s voice growled, eyes ablaze in anger.

Jaskier shrugged, not being able to get the words past his throat to tell the Witcher’s what they had done. Their and at other times. In dark alcoves during feasts. Or during his heats. he didn’t need to say anything though for the Witcher;s to understand what the shrug meant. They could see it in his blue eyes wide with terror at the remembered memories.

“Bastards.” lambert growled, jumping to his feet and pacing across the room. 

“We should add that into the treaty.” Eskel snarled, scarred face bright with fury at what had been done to Jaskier. “That they can never treat Omega’s like this again.” Geralt and the other Witcher’s nodded their agreement. Even Yennefer nodded.

Jaskier felt a wave of comfort wash over him at Eskel’s words. “You’re safe now little lark.” Letho growled from his seat.

“Yeah, not one of the bastards will ever touch you again.” Aukes added, all the Witcher’s around the growling their agreement.

The Witcher’s wouldn’t let any harm come to their little lark, if they could help it.

.......

The next morning found Geralt, Yennefer, Eskel and Jaskier pouring over the treaty sent to them by Dijsktra ready for their agreement. They’d been re-reading it over and over for the last few hours, adding in their demand that omega’s were given the same rights as everyone else (elves, dwarves and halting s included). Yennefer and Jaskier had already crossed through a few areas of the treaty, places were the Redanian’s had tried to push through demands that would never have been accepted. Eskel and Geralt were impressed as they watched the two hover over the treaty. They found every trap the Redanian council tried to put in, most Geralt and Eskel never would have thought to spot.

“I need a break.” Jaskier announced, wiping a tired hand over his eyes. “We’ve been at this for hours.”

“I think we’re finished anyway.” Yennefer agreed, reading the treaty once more before rolling it up in a flourish. “I’ll deliver this back to the Redanian Council.” And with that she disappeared in a wave of black hair.

Geralt let his head hang over the side of the armchair, muscles aching from sitting in the same position for the last few hours. “Where are you going?” Eskel asked as Jaskier stood, stretching his arms ahead.

“I’m going for some fresh air.” Jaskier announced, fastening his doublet.

“I’ll go with you.” Geralt started but Jaskier shook his head.

“It’s a 2 minute walk to the gardens from here and Lambert and Aidan are out there anyway. I won’t be alone for too long.” He assured them. And Geralt knew, he fucking knew, he should have said no. He should have walked his bard to the safety of Lambert and Aidan’s gaze. But he didn’t. Both he and Eskel were too tired to even consider the dangers to their omega. A 2 minutes walk to safety. If anything happened they’d hear it. Nothing could happen to Jaskier in the 2 minutes he was away from the sight of the Witcher’s.

How wrong they were.

........

Jaskier was a fool. The biggest fool there ever was. He couldn’t believe how foolishly stupid he’d been. he should have known the minute he left the sight of the Witcher’s something would happen. But he was tired, restless from hours spent in the same four walls re-reading and re-reading a treaty. Mind too tired to even think of the consequences of being away from the Witcher’s sights for 2 minutes. So fucking stupid.

Lettenhove had a hand clamped over Jaskier’s mouth as he pressed his son bodily up against a wall. His eyes were ablaze with fury as he grabbed a fistful of Jaskier’s hair pulling tightly so Jaskier was leaning backwards. Jaskier whimpered in the grip, struggling as much as he could in the death grip his Father had him in.

“You stupid, pathetic little omega brat.” Lettenhove sneered, breath tickling Jaskier’s ear. “You are an embarrassment to our family. A pathetic little whore. How dare you embarrass our family any more than you already have.” Lettenhove took his hand away from Jaskier’s hair, gripping Jaskier’s arm when the omega tried to slap his hands away.

Jaskier screamed in pain, voice muffled by the hand over his mouth as his Father twisted his arm tightly behind his back. Lettenhove twisted angrily, causing the bones in Jaskier’s shoulder to twist and moan in their socket. A little further and Jaskier knew the shoulder would be dislocated. He whimpered again, fear covering the air around him.

He wanted nothing more than for Geralt to turn the corner and save him. Except Geralt wasn’t coming because Geralt didn’t know he was in trouble. No one knew Jaskier was here. They all thought he was safe. Lettenhove pulled his hand away from Jaskier’s mouth but before the omega could scream for help sharp cold metal went to his throat, freezing the scream on Jaskier’s lips.

“You would be better off dead.” Lettenhove growled, pushing the knife deep into Jaskier’s throat. Jaskier whimpered softly as blood beaded onto the knife. “Better for all of us if you had never been born.” Lettenhove muttered darkly, pushing the knife deeper against Jaskier’s throat.

“Please...”. Jaskier flinched at the soft quality on his voice.

The knife was removed for a moment and Jaskier felt of relief as his Father stepped back. Until sharp bright pain flooded through Jaskier’s whole body. He moaned, legs collapsing under him as he clutched at his stomach, hands coming away bright red with blood.

He hit the floor, head lolling upwards. His Father stood above him, eyes bright with anger as he delivered a kick to Jaskier’s ribs. “The last decent thing you can do for this family.” Lettenhove growled, grabbing a fistful of Jaskier’s hair and pulling his son upwards. Jaskier moaned in pain. “Is to die. You worthless whore.” And Jaskier was shoved once more to the floor.

His head bounced on the concrete floor, dark spots dancing in his vision. He should shout for help. But Jaskier couldn’t. All he could do was listen to his Father’s footsteps as they walked away, hands scrabbling uselessly at the bleeding wound in his stomach.

The last thing he was aware of was running steps and a wordless cry of pain that Jaskier thought might be Geralt before his whole world went black.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note this chapter contains mentions of blood, violent and rape. Please don't read if uncomfortable

Geralt felt his heart plummet through the floor when Lambert and Aidan walked into the Witchers suite of rooms. “Where’s Jaskier?” Eskel growled, already ahead of Geralt in jumping to his feet.

Lambert and Aidan shared a confused look. “I thought he was here.” Aidan began.

Geralt growled low and dangerous in his throat. “He went to the gardens for a walk. He said he would see you there.” 

“Geralt, calm down.” Eskel put a hand on Geralt’s shoulder as the white haired Witcher stalked forwards so he was standing nose to nose with Lambert.

“He never came to the gardens.” lambert growled, amber eyes taking on the same alarmed look that Geralt and Eskel’s shared.

“Fuck.” Geralt growled, stalking from the room. If Jaskier hadn’t made it to Lambert and Aidan then something must have happened. 

Eskel, Lambert and Aidan were hot on his heels as Geralt sprinted down the corridor in the way he knew Jaskier would have gone. Worry tore it’s way through Geralt as he roamed frantic eyes all around him. He hoped beyond hope that he’d see Jaskier round a corner and the Omega would laugh at Geralt’s ridiculous protectiveness.

Instead, Geralt was knocked back by the clogging scent of blood. He made a keening noise as he sprinted towards Jaskier, lying on the floor and surrounded by a pool of expanding red blood. Jaskier’s legs were bent at an angle, hands lying limply over a deep knife wound in his stomach. Geralt pressed large hands to his omega’s stomach, trying to stop the sluggish movement of the blood. Jaskier’s breath was slow, barely detectable to even Geralt’s Witcher hearing. 

He heard footsteps running back up the corridor but he didn’t notice. Someone passed him a cloth, Eskel Geralt thought, which geralt used to press against Jaskier’s stomach. His bard didn’t move. Jaskier’s eyelids were closed, face a deathly pale colour. He was limp lying on the floor and Geralt felt hot tears running down his face as he silently begged Jaskier not to die. He couldn’t lose him. He wouldn’t.

“Get him back to our rooms.” Yennefer’s voice appeared behind Geralt and he didn’t even realise she had arrived. Geralt growled low in his throat when Eskel tried to touch Jaskier, arms wrapping around his omega and pulling the limp body closer to his chest. Geralt wouldn’t let anyone touch Jaskier. “Geralt, we need to get him somewhere I can treat him.” Yennefer knelt opposite Geralt violet eyes spinning in pain as she looked at the limp fragile body in Geralt’s arms. “If we don’t move now we might lose him. He’s already lost too much blood.”

Geralt growled, bending to pick his omega up, cradling the fragile body in his arms as he followed Yennefer back to their rooms. All the Witchers had returned to their suite of rooms, amber eyes looking at the limp omega in Geralt’s arms as they passed. Distantly Geralt noted with approval, 10 Witcher’s stood outside the suite of room, the remaining 5 in the living room outside the room Jaskier and Geralt had been sharing. Eskel took his place next to Lambert. All 16 Witchers looked ready to murder anyone who dared set foot within a hundred yards of their little lark.

Gently, Geralt placed Jaskier’s body on the bed. The cloth he’d been using the press against the bleeding bard was soaked red. Geralt felt bile rise in his throat as he helped Yennefer remove Jaskier’s doublet and chemise. The white chemise was stained red around the whole lower part. Geralt growled low and angry when he saw the ugly jagged wound deep in Jaskier’s stomach. A bruise was also forming across Jaskier’s left side, as if he’d been kicked. Blood dotted under Jaskier’s throat, a thin bloody line placed along his Adam’s apple.

“Out.” Yennefer demanded, not flinching under the angry glare Geralt sent him. “I need peace to work. And room. Now out.” Yennefer’s face and tone turned soft as she looked at the bard. “I won’t hurt him Geralt. I promise.” Geralt grunted. Placing one final soft kiss to his omega’s temple, Geralt slowly exited the room, closing the door behind him. Jaskier wold be safe with Yennefer.

Blood stained his hands. Jaskier’s blood. Anger coursed through his body, making him tremble with rage as he balled his hands into fist. Someone had done this. Someone had deliberately tried to kill his omega. Jaskier, the kindest, sweetest, strongest person Geralt had ever known. Jaskier didn’t deserve this. He didn’t deserve to be stabbed and left to die.

“Who?” Geralt growled low and angry.

“No fucking idea.” Lambert growled, eyes blazing with anger at whoever had hurt their bard. 

Geralt growled, stalking out of the room. Lambert, Eskel, Cohen and Aidan followed closely behind him. The other Witchers remained where they stood. They wanted to go with the White Wolf to enact their bloody vengeance on the bastard that did this as much as Geralt did. But they stayed because they wouldn’t leave their omega unprotected. Geralt stalked down the corridor with the comforting knowledge that no one would get through the Witcher’s. Jaskier was safe as he could be in this fucking place.

......

It was laughably easy for the Witchers to locate Lettenhove. The man hadn’t even bothered to change the clothing he’d worn when he’d attacked Jaskier. Jaskier’s frightened omega smell was all over him. Lettenhove was sitting in his own set of rooms with his wife and 3 other Alpha’s. Two of them, Geralt noted, members of King Vizimir’s council (Gregory and the man Geralt didn’t know the name for)

“What is the meaning of this.” Lettenhove had the audacity to demand as the alpha’s and his beta wife stood. Geralt growled low and deep, ignoring the shouts of protest as he grabbed Lettenhove’s throat and shoved him hard enough into the wall behind him for the plaster to crack.

“You have no right.” Lettenhove shouted, eyes wide in shock and outrage. Geralt growled low in his throat, tightening his grip on Lettenhove’s throat. The man choked, eyes bulging wide as he punched ineffectually at Geralt’s arm.

“I have no right.” Geralt growled, suddenly disgusted with the thought of touching this man. He flung Lettenhove onto the floor, the man crying out in pain as his head hit the floor. “what gave you the right to harm Jaskier.” Geralt growled angrily, following the man as he tried to crawl away from the irate Witcher.

“Julian....Julian is my son.” Lettenhove stammered, trembling with fear as Geralt grabbed a hold of his shirt and yanked the man to his feet. “I have every right.”

“To try and kill him.” Geralt snarled. “To let people rape him. To disrespect him.” Geralt let all the anger he had kept for this man since Jaskier told him what he had done to him boil over.

“He’s just an omega.” Lettenhove tried weakly and Geralt punched him solidly in the face. Blood erupted from Lettenhove’s nose, the man staggering backwards crying in pain as he held his hand on his nose. “Get the guards.” Lettenhove shrieked but Eskel, Lambert, Aidan and Cohen stood guarding the exit to this room. The other nobles glanced between Lettenhove and the Witcher’s before retreating from them all as far they could. Fear came off them in droves and Geralt snarled in satisfaction. Good. They deserved to be scared. As scared as they’d all made Jaskier feel.

“Julian is alive?” The soft spoken words from Lettenhove’s wife had Geralt pausing in his bloodlust for revenge. The woman was stood tall, a distasteful look on her face when she looked at Lettenhove crouching in fear away from Geralt.

“Yes.” Geralt growled. 

“Of course he is.” her voice was tinged with bitter disappointment and Geralt felt his anger turn on this woman. Jaskier’s own Mother who was fucking disappointed that her son was still alive. “You should have killed him years ago.” The woman turned to snarl at her husband. “Wasn’t it be enough that our own son presented as an omega. You had to embarrass us further by whoring him out. Better if you’d killed him the night he presented.”

And Geralt snarled in anger but before he could turn his temper on the woman Eskel had grabbed the woman by the arm. She cried in anger when Eskel twisted her arm roughly. “Jaskier is a better human being than you could ever be.” Eskel snarled. “You have no right to talk about him like that.”

Geralt grunted in satisfaction as Lambert added in a low deep voice. “Jaskier deserves so much fucking more than you fucking people.” Aidan and Cohen grunted in agreement.

“What will you do with us?” Jaskier’s Mother sniffed. Fear ran through her scent but she did a good job of remaining calm and controlled even as Eskel gripped her arm tight enough to bruise.

“They can’t kill us dear.” Lettenhove had staggered to his feet again, blood still dripping down his face even as it contorted into a grin. “They’ll never make it out of Redania if they do. Will you really give up on this peace treaty for a pathetic fucking omega.”

And Geralt growled low in his throat in anger. Because he would. Redania could shove their treaty up their fucking arseholes if that’s what it took. Because Geralt wouldn’t let these people get away with what they had done to his mate.

“Cohen, tell Yennefer to send word to Kaer Morhen.” Geralt growled, Cohen running to do as he asked. “Take these two to the grand hall.” Geralt growled. Eskel grunted, Lambert taking a tight hold of Lettenhove who squawked at the rough handling as he and his wife were pushed out of the room. Geralt turned blazing amber eyes to the men in front of him. “Tell you’re King to get his arse there. Now.” Geralt’s tone was low and brokered no arguments. The men jumped to do as Geralt asked, not taking a backward look as they ran from the murderous Witchers.

......

Yennefer stood in the grand hall with a smirk playing on her face as she watched the proceedings. Letho and Aidan had taken Jaskier through a portal back to Kaer Morhen where he was safe in Vesemir and Triss’ ccare.

Lettenhove and his wife were kneeling on the floor. The woman knelt with her back straight and tall a proud look in her eyes even as her husband flared daggers at Geralt, Lambert and Eskel stood behind them swords out and pointed at their necks ready to kill them if they tried anything. Geralt stood in front of the Lettenhove’s, amber eyes blazing with unchecked fury as he stalked up and down in front of the raised dais where King Vizimir and several nobles stood.

No less than 50 Witchers stood at Yennefer’s back, all dressed in their black armour and all wearing identical looks of outrage on their faces.

“You will sign this treaty.= with every demand that I have put on it. The only thing you will keep is your lands with the understanding that if you break. Single fucking thing on that treaty I will take the rest of Redania from you.” Geralt growled, eyes blazing on King Vizimir. “You will sign this treaty and you will never step foot on my lands again. You will never treat any omega like you have treated Jaskier again. You will apologise to me and every single fucking Witcher here. And then you will write an apology to Jaskier.” To be fair to King Vizimir, he didn’t so much as twitch under the glares of 51 Witchers and one very pissed off mage. “You will do all of this and you will thank us for not tearing this city apart for what you have done.” Geralt growled. The Witchers behind Geralt let out a long cheer at Geralt’s words, banging their unsheathed swords on their fists.

King Vizimir did flinch at that and Yennefer smiled. Good. If she was honest, she thought Geralt was being lenient. If she had her way she’d have killed every person in this castle that had even looked at their omega the wrong way.

“And Viscount de Lettenhove?” King Vizimir asked, eyes glancing at his Viscount and Lettenhove’s wife with obvious anger. Yennefer smiled. Obviously Lettenhove had acted outside of his King’s orders. Lettenhove’s face fell in on itself when he realised he would be receiving no help from his King. Jaskier’s Mother remained silent, staring straight ahead in resignation.

Geralt pulled out his sword and impacted Lettenhove on it to the shouted cries of the nobles behind him. Yennefer felt a swell of relief as the man cried in agony, hand clutching as the sword went through him. He slumped towards as Geralt pulled the sword backwards. Dead. Good.

Lambert roughly pulled Jaskier’s Mother to her feet. The Viscountess meet Geralt’s eyes dead on. “I don’t regret what my husband did to that omega. He was no longer our son the day he presented.” Geralt growled low and dangerous.

“I would have spared your life.” Geralt growled low, placing his sword about the woman’s heart. “But now I won’t.” And Geralt shoved his sword forwards. Jaskier’s Mother slumped towards, collapsing onto the ground next to her husbands lifeless body. Both dead.

And Yennefer felt relief rush through her at the thought. They would never ever hurt Jaskier again.

King Vizimir had notably paled at the brutish scene played out before him. Eskel walked up to the King, treaty in hand. He didn’t even look at it as he signed his name at the bottom.

Geralt grunted before turning his back on the Redanian nobles. Yennefer gathered her chaos and created the portals right in the middle of the Redanian courtroom, allowing the 50 Witchers to file away. As she closed the portal behind her, Kaer Morhen looming above her, Yennefer watched as Geralt stalked up the castle steps, intent on finding Jaskier.

.......

Jaskier woke slowly, mind groggy as he slowly became aware f soft voices around him. He couldn’t make the words out, his mind feeling a bit like he was floating. A warm hand enclosed around his own, squeezing gently. Jaskier tried to squeeze back but he couldn’t get his body to listen to him. There was a dim pain coming from his stomach. Someone said something next to him, voice vibrating the air but Jaskier couldn’t make out the words. He tried to open his heavy eyelids to see who was in the room but his whole body felt like it was pressed down with weight. As the feeling of a warm hand on his, Jaskier started to feel the feeling fade away back into darkness.

.....

Geralt found Jaskier in their shared room in Kaer Morhen. Triss, Vesemir and Ciri were in the room, the omega laid out on bed. The bedsheet had been pulled up to cover his lower half, heavy bandages wrapped tightly around his naked torso. Ciri jumped into his arms as Geralt entered the room, burying her face into his should as she sobbed.

“He’ll be ok.” Triss reassured him as Geralt took a seat next to Jaskier’s prone body, placing Ciri on his lap. Geralt took a hold of Jaskier limp hand, squeezing gently. He could feel the magic floating in the air. “It’ll take sometime for him to wake up. Magic healing is a tiring process on the body. And he lost a lot of blood.” Too much fucking blood, Geralt thought as he saw an image of Jaskier lying in a pool of his own blood. “And of course magics not a quick fix, it’ll take time for him to heal fully. There’ll be a nasty scar.” Jaskier would hate that, Geralt thought.

“But he’ll be ok.” Ciri’s voice was soft.

“I promise.” Triss agreed, taking hold of Jaskier’s other hand and offering it a tight squeeze.  
Geralt grunted, the heavy weight in his heart lifting at Triss’ words. They hadn’t been too late. Jaskier would live.

.......

Geralt had been sitting by his mates bedside for the last 2 days, waiting for Jaskier to wake up. Ciri was with him most of the time, only leaving to find food or stretch her legs for a few minutes at a time. She had announced much the same as Geralt that she wouldn’t be going anywhere until Jaskier woke up. Every Witcher in Kaer Morhen had also been up to Geralt’s room. All staying only a few moments as they watched their bard sleep, as if they had to reassure themselves that Jaskier was still alive. That he would be fine.

A few (Lambert, Eskel, Vesemir, Aidan, Cohen, Letho and Aukes) had stayed a little longer, offering to give Geralt a chance to go and rest. Geralt had refused. He wouldn’t leave Jaskier alone until he was positive Jaskier was going to be ok. Yennefer had been down to visit that morning, having spent the previous day sleeping and recovering from the use of the chaos when she portaled the Witchers to and from Redania in the space of the same hour. She’d stayed all morning, reading from a book as her violet eyes glanced at Jaskier every few moment as if to reassure herself he was still there. Alive and well.

Right now, Geralt was sat in the same chair he’d been in since coming back from Redania. It was the middle of the night and Ciri was snoring gently on the armchair she had taken residence in. Geralt gently traced gentle circles on Jaskier’s hand. As he watched the peaceful expression on Jaskier’s face Geralt could almost imagine the bard was just sleeping. Rather than recovering from a magical healing.

As Geralt continued to stroke Jaskier’s hand in his own, he felt defeated. He’d promised Jaskier he wouldn’t be hurt, that Geralt would protect him. And he hadn’t. Jaskier had been hurt, almost killed and Geralt hadn’t been there. His anger had drained out of him when Lettenhove had died. After that Geralt had just felt defeated. Jaskier had been injured, hurt, because Geralt hadn’t paid attention. Geralt had let this happen. He knew Redania wasn’t safe, had known it the moment they’d walked into the courtroom and every eye had turned to the unclaimed Omega. Geralt had known Jaskier was in danger and what had he done to protect him. Nothing. 

Geralt’s amber eyes flickered to Jaskier eyes and he startled. Dull blue eyes were watching him from where Jaskier was lying on the bed. “G’ralt.” Jaskier slurred, eyes turning up at Geralt in a frown. “What happened?” His voice was barely above a whisper, hoarse from disuse.

Geralt quickly let go of Jaskier’ hand, grabbing a cup of water and offering it the omega. Jaskier hummed his thanks, taking a long gulp as Geralt slowly tipped it onto Jaskier’s lips. When Geralt took the cup away Jaskier whined softly. “You were stabbed.” Geralt grunted in answer to Jaskier’s previous question. Jaskier hummed in response, eyes closing before slowly re-opening. His eyes were dull and hazy from sleep.

“Sleep, we’ll talk later.” Geralt murmured, placing a soft kiss to Jaskier’s head. Jaskier hummed in thanks, eyes already closing as he drifted back to sleep. Geralt kept a firm grip on Jaskier’s hand as he listened to his omega’s breathing slowly even out and back into sleep.

……..

When Jaskier woke next, it was to sun shining through the window. A warm weight was holding onto his hand and when Jaskier turned to face the source of the warm hold he felt his heart flutter in happiness to find Geralt’s amber eyes staring back at him. Jaskier offered a small smile from where he lay on the bed. “Morning,” he mumbled. For a moment he wondered why Geralt’s face was set in a worried frown and why the alpha wasn’t in the bed with Jaskier. At least before he moved his free hand to rest on his stomach and he felt a swath of bandages on his stomach.

And then all the memories hit at once. His Father cornering him, pinning him to a wall so he couldn’t scream. Being told he would be better off dead. The knife at his throat. The blinding pain in his stomach as the knife sliced through him. 

“Jaskier, you’re safe. Breathe.” Geralt’s gruff voice called distantly at Jaskier’s reeling mind. Distantly he became aware he was hyperventilating, his breathing coming out in stuttering gasps. And that hurt. It sent stabbing pains up his stomach. And all Jaskier kept feeling were his Father’s hands, holding him down. Telling how useless he was. How pathetic he was. How no one would ever want him. How he would be better off dead.

Tears ran down Jaskier’s face as he tried to shake the memories away. Black spots danced at the edges of Jaskier’s vision as he tried to take a full breath and couldn’t. Distantly he felt the bed dip behind him, arms engulfing him in a hug from behind. Jaskier tried to fight the arms holding him down before he caught the scent of his alpha. His Geralt. And Jaskier let himself be pulled backwards. “That’s it, breathe with me.” Geralt murmured, exaggerating his breathing. 

It took Jaskier several minutes before he was matching Geralt’s slow deliberate breaths. His breathing was still shallow and too fast but the panic that had clawed its way up Jaskier’s throat had lessened. He was safe. Geralt was here. Jaskier was safe. He was alive.

“My Father…” Jaskier trailed off, unsure exactly what to say.

Geralt just hummed. “He’s dead. I killed him. And your Mother.” And Jaskier burst into tears.

……..

Geralt panicked as violent sobs wracked through the omega’s shoulders. He help Jaskier against his chest, rubbing slow circles over Jaskier’s chest above the mound of bandages covering his stab wound. He didn’t know what to say or do as Jaskier cried loudly and messily, leaning heavily on Geralt’s chest.

He didn’t know what he expected to happen when he told Jaskier his parents were dead but he hadn’t expected this. He hadn’t expected Jaskier to cry for them. To sob so hard his body shook in Geralt’s hold. And Geralt felt self-hate gnaw at his chest. He’d hurt Jaskier by killing his parents. His family. So blinded by his anger, Geralt had been unable to imagine how the omega’s parents death might affect Jaskier. He’d been selfish. A failure of an alpha. He’d failed Jaskier again. Again.

…….

Jaskier didn’t know why he was crying but now he’d started he couldn’t. Every time he thought he was done another sob burst through him and Jaskier was overcome with tears as his body trembled. He didn’t know how long he cried, leaning against Geralt on their bed but when he was done his eyes were raw from tears, throat sore from crying and the wound on his stomach ached something fiercely.

“I’m sorry.” Jaskier whispered, turning his head to meet Geralt’s amber eyes. “I’m so so fucking sorry.” Jaskier hiccoughed. Because what must Geralt think. This weak, pathetic omega, crying for the parents that had spent years abusing him. Crying over the man that had tried to kill him. 

“I shouldn’t have killed them.” Geralt grunted. His amber eyes held a deep pain in them.

“Yes, you should have.” Jaskier whispered, taking Geralt’s hand in his own. All the crying had left Jaskier drained. He was so tired. But the pain in Geralt’s eyes had stopped Jaskier short. Geralt was hurting and Jaskier felt his heart tighten at that thought. The thought that his mate was upset.

“I’m not crying because I’m grieving.” Jaskier continued, locking his blue eyes with Geralt’s own. It was strange. It was like hearing his parents had been killed had opened the flood gates in Jaskier’s mind. All the pain, the torment, the years of abuse caused by his Father. It had all come flooding out of his mind at once. All the unwanted touches, the heats spent tied to a bed as alpha after alpha knotted him. Used Jaskier until he was a withering mess of tears, snot and drying cum. Years of listening to his Father call him a worthless whore. Years of his Mother turning her nose up at her own son, refusing to meet his eyes because he was such a disappointment. His Father’s final words to Jaskier saying that he would be better off dead. For years Jaskier had buried it all deep down. 8 years of pretending it had happened to someone else. That everything that had happened to Julian in know way impacted Jaskier. Except it did. The way he had been treated the second he had stepping into Redania had brought all those deep-seated insecurities and memories driving through Jaskier’s head. He’d slowly realised that it didn’t matter if he was Julian Alfred Pankratz Viscount de Lettenhove or Jaskier bard of Kaer Morhen. It didn’t matter because all those things that had happened to Julian were happening to Jaskier. All the snide comments, the presumptions that just because he was an omega he was weak and useless. That he would be better off dead. And upon waking from a stab wound that his Father had inflicted upon him. That had left him bleeding out onto a stone floor far away from the man he loved. Far away from safety. And then learning that his parents were dead. It had all flooded into Jaskier’s minds, everything he had suppressed for so many years. And he had broken down into a sobbing mess.

“I’m crying.” Jaskier hiccoughed, voice full of emotion as his eyes fixed onto his alpha. “Because I’m finally free.” And he was. It was like a dead weight had been lifted from Jaskier’s mind. All the pain, the fear, the hurt. It was gone. For the first time in his whole life Jaskier wasn’t afraid of what might happen to him. What being an unclaimed omega meant. He wasn’t afraid because he was safe. He was safe and loved and protected. Sitting in Geralt’s arms, Jaskier knew he would never be safer. “I’m safe.” Jaskier murmured and Geralt was looking at him like he was mad. Maybe was a little.

“How can you be safe.” Geralt grumbled, eyes downcast on Jaskier pain shining through them. “I couldn’t protect you.”

“It wasn’t your fault.” Jaskier murmured but Geralt wasn’t listening. The alpha’s eyes shone with pain.

“I promised to protect you. I failed. I couldn’t stop him from hurting you. I couldn’t stop those bastards from insulting you. I couldn’t do anything.”

“You’re here.” Jaskier mumbled as if it was simplest thing in the world, and to him it was. “You can’t stop what people think dear wolf.” Jaskier traced a hand down Geralt’s jaw. “You couldn’t have known my Father was going to try to kill me. You couldn’t have stopped any of it. Not for lack of trying I know.” Jaskier chuckled softly. “But you’re here now. You’re keeping me safe now. You saved my life Geralt.” Jaskier whispered because Jaskier knew Geralt had been the one to find him. Had stopped him from bleeding out. “I would be dead without you.”

A tear ran down Geralt’s cheeks and Jaskier wanted to kiss it away but the wound in his stomach was hurting and he could barely move so he settled for wiping the tear away and pressing a kiss to Geralt’s hand. “I know it may not seem like it now but it’s the truth.”

“I’m sorry any of this happened to you.” Geralt’s words vibrated through Jaskier and the omega found himself leaning further back into Geralt’s warm embrace, offering the alpha any comfort he could.

“I know you are. But please, Geralt don’t blame yourself. If you’re going to blame anyone blame my parents. Blame my Father. But none of this is your fault.”

Geralt hummed, kissing the top of Jaskier’s head. Jaskier snuggled closer, a sudden wave of exhaustion flowing through him. He was so tired. “Sleep little lark.” Geralt murmured and Jaskier nodded, snuggling further into Geralt’s arms. “I have you.” And Jaskier fell asleep in the knowledge that yes, he was safe and protected in his alpha’s arms.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings this chapter mentions brief mentions of rape. Mostly it's a lot of sexual smut between Geralt and Jaskier. Apologies I've never really written sexual smut before so I hope it's ok.

Triss and Yennefer finally declared Jaskier fit to move around freely nearly a week after the mess in Redania. Geralt had barely left Jaskier’s side that whole time, keeping close to Jaskier as much as possible. Ciri visited everyday. She had been delighted upon learning Jaskier was awake, the only thing stopping her from hugging Jaskier being the still healing wound n his stomach. Instead she had settled for a subdued hug and then proceeded to chatter about every little thing Jaskier had missed during his time in Redania and then unconscious in bed. A number of the Witchers visited, all brining news and a welcome distraction from Jaskier’s boredom of being confined to bed rest. Yennefer and Triss were there nearly as often as Ciri. Triss babbling anything and everything while Yennefer sat quietly in a chair, offering her silent companionship.

It was the happiest Jaskier remembered being in his whole life. He felt weightless, free in a way he didn’t think would be possible since the Druidic magic supressing his omega scent broke. And he felt more loved than he had ever been in his entire life. Geralt exuded love and comfort to his omega and Jaskier felt himself particularly glowing from the alpha’s kind touches and words. He was Geralt’s and that thought didn’t scare him like it might have a month ago. He was Geralt’s and all that thought brought Jaskier was an undeniable weight of love and happiness.

Geralt kept a hold of Jaskier’s waist as the alpha led Jaskier into the great hall that evening for dinner. A loud cheer that had Jaskier blushing madly went up as the Witchers saw Jaskier being led into the room. Geralt pulled out a seat between the alpha and Ciri. When Jaskier raised an eyebrow Geralt murmured “I’m not letting you out of my sight little lark.” And Jaskier had laughed softly at this. 

After the Witchers had eaten, Jaskier pulled out his lute which he had insisted on bringing down to dinner much to Geralt’s obvious amusement. He stood slowly, amazed once more at the amazement of magical healing. He was still weary, Triss explaining that a magical healing took quite a bit of energy from the body, but his wound was particularly none existent. The only evidence he had even been injured was the deep red scar that sat at the centre of his stomach. Triss had assured him it wouldn’t even be noticeable within the next month. Truly a miracle.

As Jaskier hummed the final notes of a song, the room erupted as the Witchers shouted their cheer to the point that Jaskier was sure even Nilfgaard would be able to hear them. Singing, playing his lute lifted Jaskier’s mood to new heights. He always had a heady rush of adrenalin when he performed but this was an even headier sensation than usual. A freeing sensation that had Jaskier jumping onto the table. Witcher’s shouted their encouragement, moving table and dancing to the songs that sprung from Jaskier’s lips and fingers.

By the time Jaskier finished he was exhausted and laughing. He and Geralt walked Ciri to her room where she gave them both long and tight hugs before kicking them out of her room so she could sleep. Geralt growled low in his throat, lifting Jaskier up into his arms so he could carry Jaskier bridal style to their room. Jaskier laughed the whole way, holding tightly to Geralt’s neck as the White Wolf gently placed him on their bed.

Their clothes disappeared quickly, Jaskier giggling under Geralt’s hands as the White Wolf caressed and kissed him on every part of him. As Geralt knelt above Jaskier, Jaskier’s back pressed to the bed, Jaskier felt a sudden need rush through him.

“Geralt…” Jaskier whispered, gaining a hum from Geralt even as the White Wolf continued to place kisses one after the other on Jaskier’s torso. “Geralt, please. Listen to me.” Jaskier laughed loudly. Geralt lifted his eyes so they were locked on Jaskier’s own, his white hair gently brushing against Jaskier’s cheek.

“What is it little lark?” Geralt murmured, bending so their noses touched. Jaskier breathed deeply, eyes closed in contentment.

“Claim me.” Jaskier murmured. “I want you to claim me.”

“You’re sure? Geralt’s tone had turned serious, amber eyes searching Jaskier’s own blue ones for any sort of doubt.

“More than I have ever been.” Jaskier murmured, bringing his lips up so he could kiss Geralt deeply. “I want you to claim me. I want to be yours forever.” Jaskier hummed.

“Jaskier.” Geralt lifted up from the bed and Jaskier panicked, arms trying to pull the alpha back down but Geralt just grunted, instead pulling Jaskier up with him so they were both sitting on the bed, legs entangled with each others. Their faces turned so they were looking directly at each other. “I can’t give you what an ordinary alpha can.” Geralt murmured, amber eyes bright in the firelight. “I can’t give you children.”

“I don’t care.” Jaskier whispered. He’d never even considered children before, didn’t even know if he wanted them. But he would give up that choice for Geralt. Because he wanted Geralt more than he knew he would ever want anyone else. He would accept he would never carry a child if it meant he could spend the rest of his life with Geralt.

“You don’t?” Geralt asked disbelief clear in his tone.

“No.” Jaskier whispered. “If you don’t mind claiming a human like me.” Jaskier whispered. He knew he would die before Geralt. Witchers were nearly immortal, humans like Jaskier weren’t.

“I’d rather spend a lifetime with you than an eternity alone.” Geralt grumbled, pulling Jaskier into a kiss once more. They kissed for some time before Geralt pulled away again, keeping his arms locked around Jaskier. “I’ll claim you but only on one condition.”

“Anything.” Jaskier breathed because he would do anything for his alpha.

“You claim me as well.” And Jaskier felt his heart stutter. He’d never heard of any omega claiming anyone before. They were things to be claimed, not someone who could claim others. Except the love and adoration in Geralt’s eyes squashed any doubts Jaskier had at Geralt’s words.

“If that’s what you want. Of course.”

……

Geralt felt a heady rush as he pushed Jaskier onto his back, kneeling above the omega. Jaskier mumbled in happiness, hands entangled in Geralt’s hair as Geralt nosed at the scent gland at Jaskier’s neck. He could smell the unique scent that was all Jaskier as he nibbled the area lightly. Jaskier withered underneath him, hands running up Geralt’s back in gentle encouragement. 

Geralt lifted his eyes once more the Jaskier’s bright blue ones and when the omega nodded his head, Geralt moved down and bit onto Jaskier’s scent gland. The change was instant, Geralt felt as if his whole self was surrounded by the immediate sense of his omega. His mate. Jaskier wrapped his arms around Geralt’s body and keened as Geralt bit down. When the alpha released his omega, Jaskier was looking up at him through half closed eyes, a doppy smile plastered on his face.

“Your turn.” Jaskier mumbled and Geralt bent his head down, offering his own scent gland for Jaskier’s perusal. The omega’s teeth on Geralt neck were soft and gentle as the omega marked Geralt as his own. Geralt felt like his heart would beat out of his chest as Jaskier claimed his alpha. 

When Jaskier was done, Geralt collapsed next to Jaskier, breathing ragged. Jaskier whined softly, snuggling closely to Geralt’s chest. Within moments the omega was fast asleep on Geralt’s chest. As Geralt listened to the soft breathing of his mate, he felt like the luckiest alpha alive.

……..

The days leading up to Jaskier heat were tense. Jaskier was silent and nervous, jumping at the slightest touch. All the Witchers kept a wide birth as Geralt followed his mate around like a silent overprotective shadow. Geralt had offered to leave Jaskier alone during his heat, knowing the omega was terrified of being taken advantage of again like he had been so many times before.

“I trust you.” Jaskier had whispered softly, placing a soft kiss to Geralt’s cheek. And Geralt had felt his heart flutter at that. At the trust Jaskier had so willingly placed in him.

It was an odd sight, Geralt thought, an omega getting ready for heat. He’d never been around an omega for long periods of time so the sight of Jaskier nesting was both a strange and worrying sight. Jaskier had horded nearly every blanket in their shared room moving it into a corner of the room. Furs and blankets lined the floor, Jaskier moving back and forth with what appeared to be frantic energy as he re-arranged this and that. Geralt caught Jaskier more than one time snuggling into the nest in a tight ball, head buried in the furs.

“It’s normal.” Yennefer had stated when Geralt had asked her about Jaskier’s obsessive behaviour. “Omega’s nest during their heats. The fact that he’s doing it in your room shows he feels safe.” And Geralt had nodded. He was glad Jaskier felt safe to nest around Geralt but still. The nervous energy only grew worse and worse the day to Jaskier’s heat grew ever closer.

……..

Jaskier stiffened as he felt heat run all the way through his body. The frantic fear that accompanied Jaskier every time the heat overtook his body paralysed the bard as he stood in the corridor of Kaer Morhen on his way to his lessons with Ciri. He had to focus for a second to convince himself he was safe. Geralt wasn’t with him, he had gone to the training grounds that morning and wouldn’t see Jaskier until lunch.

Jaskier could go and find him. Had promised Geralt he would the second the heat found him. But the idea of walking anywhere other than to the nest in the corner of his room was a daunting prospect. Heat ran up Jaskier’s pine, making his eyes roll back in a mix of pain and pleasure. He staggered back down the corridor; eyes hazy as he made his way to his rooms.

“Jaskier?” Ciri’s voice pierced through Jaskier’s hazy thoughts. Her emerald eyes were wide with worry as Jaskier groaned, knees almost buckling under his weight. “Are you ok?” 

Jaskier offered the girl a tired smile nodding. “Could you please get Geralt?” He asked, ignoring how his voice shook from the effort of his heat on top of him.

“Are you going to your nest?” The girl asked and Jaskier nodded, thankful he didn’t need to explain any more to her as he didn’t think he would be able to get the words out. Ciri nodded once, taking down the corridor at a break neck speed.

Jaskier staggered towards his room, barely closing the door before a crippling wave of pleasure had him falling to his knees. He could feel the tight pressure at his breeches as his cock expanded and found himself sobbing with memories of coming from the unwanted touches of so many alpha’s. Jaskier crawled to the nest resting in the corner, burying himself under the furs and blankets as his thighs grew slick from his heat. Sobs tore through him as the fever burned.

He couldn’t d this. Fuck, he thought he’d be ok but he wasn’t. He couldn’t fucking do this.

………

Geralt sprinted through the corridors of Kaer Morhen, following the sweet smell of honey. Of his mate. Ciri had been out of breath when she arrived at the training grounds, telling him that Jaskier had gone into heat. And of course the fucking bard would just as Geralt turned his back for two seconds.

As Geralt closed the door behind him he froze at the sight before him. Jaskier’s hair was sticking out at angles, face flushed with heat as his body trembled. The omega was sobbing uncontrollably into the furs lining his nest, body trembling. Geralt could smell the musky smell of Jaskier’s arousal, could particularly taste the slick on Jaskier’s thighs. The honey cloying scent making Gerlat’s knees go weak with need.

But his mate was sobbing, shaking in fear and terror as he curled in the nest, he had spent the last few days so obsessively building. That was as effective in countering Geralt’s lust as anything could be. Geralt dropped to his knees, arms hovering near his omega, waiting for Jaskier to come to him.

……

Jaskier felt rather than saw Geralt drop to his knees. He lifted tear filled blue eyes to see the alpha on his knees, amber eyes wide with worry and arms wide. Jaskier didn’t need to be told twice, throwing himself into his alpha’s arms, sobbing against his chest as heat rocked through him.

The omega buried his face in Geralt’s neck, smelling the spicy scent of his alpha as Geralt closed his arms around him. Jaskier’s body rocked against the alpha on it’s own accord, body seeking friction for his aching erection even as Jaskier sobbed at the remembered touches of unwanted Alpha’s.

“You’re ok. I have you.” Geralt murmured into Jaskier’s neck and Jaskier felt his body betray him as his cock spurted come. The omega collapsed against his alpha’s chest sobs coming viciously fast and harsh as his whole body ached with want and lust. He needed Geralt to touch him. He needed Geralt to knot him. His whole body urged for his alpha’s touch.

“What do you need?” Geralt murmured, eyes wide with lust even as he gently traced a line across Jaskier’s face. Geralt wouldn’t touch Jaskier unless Jaskier asked him to.

“You. I need you.” Jaskier stammered, body aching as heat raged through him.

Geralt hummed, slowly and carefully helping Jaskier remove his clothing. Jaskier’s hands barley moved, body weightless with want and need. Geralt did most of the heavy lifting until they were both naked. Jaskier flushed in embarrassment at his leaking cock and slick thighs. His body so desperate in the throws of his heat. “Shh, let me do the work.” Geralt murmured, fingers pressing against Jaskier’s hole. Jaskier keened madly as they breached him.

Jaskier was panting by the time Geralt deemed him ready for his cock. The alpha gently pushed his way inside Jaskier, all the time holding Jaskier close and offering sweet nonsenses into his hair. Jaskier held tightly, body unwilling to do anything but hold tight as Geralt softly rocked upwards.

Jaskier came with a loud shout as Geralt knotted in Jaskier’s hold. The alpha gasped in lust as he knotted his omega. Jaskier whined, burying his face in Geralt’s neck. His eyes started to drift close, Geralt’s cock still in his hole, keeping them closer than was otherwise physically possible. “Sleep, I have you.” Geralt murmured and Jaskier whined, unable to keep his eyes open any longer as he rested his head on Geralt’s broad chest and slept.

The next 3 days followed similar patterns. Geralt knotted Jaskier 5 more times, each time leaving Jaskier a panting pliant mess in the alpha’s arms. Food and water appeared in the room hourly, Yennefer or Triss’ doing Jaskier’s mind distantly thought. He was too wrapped in his heat for him to really consider where it came from. All he could think was the lust and need and want and love from having Geralt so close to him.

The alpha took care of Jaskier’s every need those 3 days. He held Jaskier while he slept, wiped the sweat from Jaskier’s body as Jaskier lay and withered from his heat. He saw to everything Jaskier could ever thought was possible. And when Jaskier’s heat finally faded on the third day, Jaskier snuggled close into Geralt’s arms.

Jaskier was happy. He was happy, content and in love. Snuggled close to Geralt, in the arms of his alpha his mate. He was happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who ha taken the time to read and comment on this. I hope you all enjoyed.
> 
> I'm considering writing a sequel to this. I've got a few ideas how I could expand Jaskier and Geralt's story but I'm not sure if I'm going to yet so please let me know if you would be interested in reading more stories.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all enjoyed.


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